


Transformers Titan: Awakening

by Saya444



Series: Transformers Titan [1]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2018-11-29 02:36:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 37
Words: 344,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11431404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saya444/pseuds/Saya444
Summary: The distant planet Terra has its fate already sealed, its destiny decided...by the marauding mechanical beings known as Decepticons. In their way stands an embattled crew of Autobot warriors, sworn to prevent the impending Armageddon at any cost and an unlikely trio of human misfits dragged into a hithero world of pain and hurt after making a historical discovery. Terra will never be the same as it becomes the new battleground for these titans!





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second version of my Transformers Titan series. My first version can be found on Fanfiction.net under the profile Kira444. I'm already knee deep into the second book of this series, and I'm posting it here as a little side project just in case anything happens to my fanfiction account. That being said, I'm very new to posting things on this site, so if I'm doing anything wrong, please let me know.

Introduction  
 

  Here we are, at the beginning.

 I’ve always been a Transformers fan. Since my early childhood I’ve watched old episodes of G1 and Beast Wars/Machines. I’ve mostly grown up with RID and the Unicron “Trilogy”, and fell off the grid for a while until I saw the Bayformer movies, Animated and then came across Prime. I never really considered seriously writing about Transformers until I started reading the IDW comics, and discovered the wonderful storytelling of James Roberts. Reading his work helped me in how to work with the various characters and personalities in Transformers, and I drew upon what to do and what not to do with them, as well as help shape my writing into what it is today.

 Transformers Titan is, in a nutshell, part original work/part reimagining of the IDW continuity. It takes huge amounts of story elements and plots from the comics and cartoons to shape the universe. Some story arcs are repurposed from the comics and cartoons, while others are direct adaptions with different characters, so I advise reading at your own discretion to avoid spoilers. Not only that, but I also take elements and characters from other anime and comics to fill in the world as well. All of this was formed after extensive planning inspired by veteran TF writers like Simon Furman and James Roberts.  
As readers will quickly realize, the layout of Titan is different from conventional Transformers fiction. The main setting of the story takes place on Terra, an alternate Earth with a different history and geography but still remaining the birthplace of humanity; this I had based off of the Strangereal concept from Ace Combat’s universe, and you’ll find a lot of countries borrowed from that series as well. Even human society is different; regular humans live alongside superhumans called Espers, people with special powers and abilities who are often persecuted in modern society. In addition to this, humanity employs the use of giant mecha called Talos, which I based off the Labors from the Patlabor anime series.

 I’ve put a lot of work into the characterization of the characters in the story-human or Cybertronian, heroes or villains, mechanical and organic. Dramatic storylines are born from how characters interact with each other and the world, and if you don’t have good characters, then the stories born from them either fall flat or are just bad. The humans in the story are given their fair share of attention, since the entire story takes place on their world, and since the depiction of humans in TF fiction can vary from good to unbearable, I took care to treat them as I would any Autobot or Decepticon. The human allies of the Autobots, children dragged into this galaxy-spanning war, are forced into mature situations which force them to make decisions and perform actions that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. These are children being involved in an alien civil war, and they will not emerge unscathed, physically or mentally. Human enemies also use their heads when fighting Transformers and actually act like they have some intelligence when it comes to fighting them.  
  

Awakening is an opening chunk to a much larger story, spanning millions of years and many planets. It’s the ground work on which a whole lot is going to be built and the build-up is slow, but significant. Everything here is from the ground up, essential to what is to come and though the focus is tight, seeds are sown that will burst forth into later stories. The long and short of it is, you’re in the best possible place…the beginning!

 So enjoy the first installment of Transformers Titan, and I hope you had as much fun reading it as I had writing it!


	2. Activation

Chapter 1-Activation

 Circling the star Hadeen was a planet unlike anything in the heavens-Cybertron. No rock, soil or sand contributed to its bizarre geography. Its content was entirely mechanical, and it existed as a vast Saturn-sized world of labyrinthine intricacy with its origins lost to the mists of time. Here, life existed, but not life as we know it. Cybertron was populated by monumental robotic beings that could shift their forms into secondary modes of differing configurations and functions. These metal giants were the Cybertronians, but to their galactic neighbors, they were known as the Transformers.

 Cybertron was once a paradise, a metallic marvel that was the prime example of just how diverse the universe could be, with its people seen by other races as evolutionary miracles, their names synonymous with culture and intellectual vigor. But what was once a glittering jewel in the cosmos was now a barren globe of scorched metal and tarnished cities littered with bodies. Civil war raged on Cybertron, a war that threatened to tear the planet asunder as it escalated to heights that no one-not even the combatants themselves-had foreseen.

 It was a war started by the ruthless Megatron of Tarn, leader of the Decepticons, who spread across the planet like a plague, conquering Cybertron’s many city-states and killing all who dared opposed his “rightful” destiny as ruler of Cybertron. The only force capable of stopping the advancing Decepticons were the Autobots, led by the legendary and peaceful Optimus Prime, who forged the Autobots into a benevolent counterforce dedicated to the preservation of life, equality and freedom. For thousands of years, the two armies, led by charismatic leaders, fought for control of the planet, neither side giving in.

 But as the war grew in intensity, the hazardous effect it had on the planet was becoming more evident. The war’s demand for more resources was more than what the planet could provide and its people took more than it could produce. With production of natural resources slowing to a crawl, the warring Cybertronians looked to the stars to continue their growing conflict. The war then spread to other worlds, many harboring life that was eventually snuffed out by the large scale conflict that massacred thousands of Cybertronians. Millions died. Billions more will follow.

 4 million years have passed and the war continues, now having slowed to a stalemate. But the sudden inclusion of one lone planet in the distant Sol System will forever change the lives of those involved, both mechanical and organic.

XXXXXX

 Autobot Orbital Command Hub was the central base of operations for the Autobots in the war. Orbiting the gas giant Opulus, the Hub was a massive space station almost as large as Opulus’ only moon, lying in orbit alongside a network of hidden sensor drones constantly monitoring the territory from the LaGrange point onwards. Here’ Autobots constantly monitored the war effort, remaining in contact with outposts across the galaxy. Tactical response units were often deployed from here on long term mission, while many other mechanoids were on standby aboard the station.

 In the central command center stood a strong, powerful looking red and blue mech who stood taller than most of the Autobots on the station. Bright blue eyes shined behind crystalline optical lens as they stared out into the vast black expanse of outer space, past the gaseous orange hue of the planet Opulus; eyes that have seen friend and foe alike die in the midst of battle over the past 4 million years. His most defining feature was a silver face plate in place of an actual mouth, which was almost as much of his personal symbol as the ancient relic he held within his chest. He displayed a serenity rarely exhibited by seasoned military commanders, though his thoughts were anything but serene, and he emanated a presence that was both regal and strong, a subtle aura that demanded respect from his peers, but also drew them in.

 “Optimus Prime, sir.”

 Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, looked away from the window to give his full attention to his second in command, Ultra Magnus. The Autobot first lieutenant was a head taller than Prime; red, white and blue with even taller shoulder extensions. Crisp and formal as ever, Ultra Magnus gave Optimus a strict salute.

 “Yes, Ultra Magnus?”

 “I’m sorry to disturb you, sir, but we just got word from the response team on Terra.” Ultra Magnus reported. “That planet from the Sol System in the uncharted region.”

 “Terra,” Optimus muttered. “That’s Prowl’s post, isn’t it?”

 “Yes, sir. He sent us an update on the situation on the planet. There’s been confirmed Decepticon activity on Terra, an infiltration unit lead by Starscream.”

 “Starscream. I imagine Megatron’s keeping a close eye on him.” Optimus said. Ultra Magnus handed him a datapad and he read it over. Its contents caused him to narrow his eyes. “High levels of energon on a planetary scale…evidence suggests it was produced locally? Has Wheeljack verified this information?”

 “Ratchet and Wheeljack had done extensive research into it. The planet itself is, apparently, producing its own energon.” Ultra Magnus replied. “Furthermore, it appears that Starscream has not initiated the infiltration procedure yet. The Decepticons are already behind schedule in that regard, which is strange considering they’ve spent a stellar cycle on that planet.”

 This deeply concerned Optimus. Starscream was often overlooked by his enemies and allies as an overeager mech who had more bark than bite, and even Megatron and his high command disregarded Starscream as a threat. But what made the Aerospace commander so dangerous was how unpredictable he was. The average Decepticon unit would’ve been into phase 2 of their infiltration plan, but Starscream seemed to be more concerned with this planet’s energon.

 “Tell Prowl to monitor the situation for any new updates. Make sure to have his team stay alert at all times.” Optimus said, handing the datapad back to Ultra Magnus. “You can never be too careful when Starscream is involved.”

 “I’ll be sure to emphasize that fact to Prowl, sir.” Ultra Magnus said and walked away. Optimus watched him go and turned back to the window with a sigh.

 Four million years of war and both sides were still locked in the same song and dance routine. Starscream’s erratic actions on that planet was probably the most action taken these days, save for the eradication of the Grindcore prison camp. From what he read from Prowl’s reports, Terra was home to a native species with its own problems that war easily exploitable by the Decepticons. Primus only knew what Starscream had in store for those people.

 Optimus hoped the situation wasn’t as bad as Ultra Magnus made it out to be, but deep down he knew that his hopes were in vain. His instincts told him that something was going to happen soon and that little planet on everyone’s radar was going to be dragged into the middle of it.

XXXXXX

 Tranquility was a city located in the dense forests of south Dakote, in Osea’s northeastern region. Situated in the middle of a large forest, Tranquility was named for its tranquil and serene atmosphere that most cities lacked due to noise and overpopulation aside from the large lake just a few miles from the city and the perfect view of the mountains in the distance, Tranquility didn’t have much else to offer visitors. All in all, it was just one big, boring town.

 But to Darren Radcliffe, it was home.

 The thirteen year old boy with short black hair and bright green eyes sat at his desk, rotating four medicine balls over the palm of his hand. Using his telekinesis was like breathing for him, and he barely had to think about levitating the balls in the air like small planets around him while he did other things. As he did this little “exercise”, he was reading a news report on his laptop about a very controversial topic plaguing the country right now.

**Today’s Top Story: Esper Response Division uncovers and neutralizes esper nest with no civilian casualties.**

“Wonderful, more news about indiscriminate killing.” Darren muttered and scrolled the page down. He saw several pictures of destroyed vehicles, and terrified people running to escape the violence between the rabid amalgams and the ARD soldiers fighting them. Large purple and white mecha, talos, loomed over them firing automatic weapons as the espers, who were fighting and losing terribly.

**Were these esper terrorists behind the recent anti-human bombings in New York and Washington? Police say the evidence is undeniable, but human rights Amnesty International have condemned the recent unprovoked ERD raids as “inhumane and unconstitutional”, provoking a stern response from Kati Mannequin of the Department of Superhuman Defense…**

The article cut to a photo of a rather pretty brunette woman in a crisp blue suit with thin glasses over her hawk-like eyes as she addressed the public at a press conference. “ _How can anyone question the ARD’s actions after the Washington Annihilation is beyond me. Our job is to protect the country from superhuman threats and the president, as well as myself, believe that is exactly what we’re doing. The president wishes to reaffirm his support for the project and offers his most sincere congratulations to the federal employees behind it. ”_

**The DSD chairwoman was of course referring to Karaba’s devastating bomb blast on Capitol Hill only seven days ago, and the recent broadcasts from Dreyas Lehnsherr, the death cult’s self-proclaimed leader…**

There was a video showing the blurry image of a figure clad in ivory armor sitting regally on a throne. He was a young-looking man with dark skin and long wavy purple hair, but even just from looking at his picture, Darren could tell that this man was very powerful and had no problem showing that power off.

 “ _This is only the beginning. Some would say that I’m a terrorist, but I like to think of myself as a savior, a savior who looks out for man’s successor, essper. No longer will we live in fear of those inferior homo-sapiens-soon, it will be the naturals who will know fear. Naturally, our attacks on this cesspool of a country will continue until you cede this land to its rightful owners. But your gods grow impatient, and you don’t want to know what happens when our patience runs out.”_

**Former NASA engineer and designer of the Paladin talos Professor Henri Arkeville was pleased with the performance of his mech and is excited about future potential dealings with the ERD for more advanced models.**

The next photo showed an old man with graying hair and a gaunt figure standing next to a Paladin talos. He barely reached the knee of the 4 meter tall robot and looked comically small next to it, but his expression showed no mirth, not even a smile.

 “ _We have lived in fear of amalgams for as long as I can remember, but today goes down in history as a turning point where ordinary people started fighting back.”_ Arkeville said. “ _Los Angles was only the first step; my colleagues and I seek to produce two thousand more units to distribute to all fifty states in the country to aid the brave men and women of the ERD in detaining these monstrous terrorists once and for all. Espers may have their powers, but we have technology on our side!”_

Espers, that was the name of humanity’s off-shoot subspecies of superhumans who started appearing near the end of the Belkan War in 1945. They (mostly) looked like humans, but had powers, abilities and mutations that set them apart from baseline humans. In the 20th century, more and more espers were appearing every day, most were just regular people who suddenly manifested their powers, while others were born espers. As the number of espers grew, so did the people’s fear of them, and violent pro-esper groups like Karaba only made put them more on edge. Violent espers certainly gave some governments a clear conscious when declaring them a public menace and ordering them to be arrested on sight…or killed on the spot.

 Darren was born an esper, a telekinetic, so he knew more than anyone else the dangers espers faced in the world. The internet was full of horror stories of espers being taken by governments to be experimented on or turned into living weapons. Darren paid them no mind, but he didn’t put it past some organizations to weaponize espers. It was an esper’s number one fear, to be captured, tortured, cut open like some lab rat and turned inside out…

 “HEY!”

 “Ah!” Darren nearly jumped out of his chair in surprise, and sent his marbles flying in different directions with a startled telekinetic burst. He took a second to calm himself before glaring at his intruder. “Damn it, Annie, have you ever heard of knocking?”

 Annie, his sister, merely grinned in response. She was his twin, born five minutes before him, and thus shared his features like his bright green eyes and black hair that fell down her back. She was dressed in a black T-shirt and a matching skirt with combat boots.

 “You’re my twin, Darren. You’re supposed to know when I’m close by instinct.” Annie said smirking. “So, what’cha doin’?”

 “If you really want to know, I was just web surfing and stuff. Nothing you should worry about.” Darren answered. Annie raised a delicate eyebrow, frowning at the computer screen. When she gave him a look, he asked, “What?”

 “You shouldn’t be watching stuff like that, bro. you know how Debbie worries about you after that last anxiety attack.” She scolded and pointed at the article he was reading. “Reading that isn’t helping at all.”

 “I can’t help it.” He sighed, shutting down his computer. “I’m an esper, I have to know about this stuff. Those ERD yahoos don’t see us as good or bad. Gaia help me if any come sniffing around out neck of the woods.”

 “But they won’t, because no one gives a shit about Tranquility. No one important anyway. And why are you so worried? You’re an amalgam, even without your telekinesis, you’re as strong as a grown man. And when you get older, you can probably tear a few men in half with your bare hands.” Annie said. Darren glared at her and she waved it off. “What? I’m just saying that with your powers, you could probably take those ERD assholes out no problem. That is, if you actually bothered to train and not back out like a wuss-“

 “Why are you here, Annie?” Darren groaned. He really didn’t want to have that conversation again, especially not this early in the morning.

 “Well, aside from informing you that Debbie has breakfast ready, I’m also here to tell you that we’ll be doing a little activity in the forest after school today.” Annie said.

 “Who’s we?”

 “You, me and Gina.”

 “Dear lord, you brought Gina into your crazy schemes?”

 “It was her idea genius.” Annie huffed. “She said that it had something to do with a little “discovery” she chanced upon over the weekend.”

 Darren cocked a brow at that. “And what exactly did she find?”

 “No clue, she was very hush hush about it.” She replied. “She’s not gonna snitch until you’re there with us, so you better say yes.”

 By all rights he should’ve listened to the warning bells in his head, but his innate curiosity won out. “Fine, I’ll come with you.”

 Annie’s eyes lit up. “Really? You’ll actually come? You’re not just saying that to get me out of the room, are you? Because if you are, I’m kicking your ass.”

 “GO!” Darren yelled. He telekinetically shoved Annie out the door, and slammed it shut behind her.

 “I’m guessing that’s a yes then.” Her muffled voice said through the door.

 ‘How are we related?’ Darren thought as he went to gather his clothes. It was just another day in the Radcliffe household.

XXXXXX

 Bumblebee weaved through the trees, his metal feet only making light thumps against the soft forested ground. The sun was covered by the tall trees that surrounded the dormant volcano of Mount Saint Hilary, with narrow beams of light seeping through the canopy. He kept his external sensors pointed outwards in all directions as he kept his hand on his blaster, finger near the trigger but not on it.

 He moved to find cover, so as to get rid of that nagging feeling of being watched. But as he moved under the shade of a tree, his sensors beeped and he leapt to the side as a laser bolt shot past his shoulder. He rolled to his feet and fired a few shots in the direction where the attack came from, then stopped. No one was shooting back. Bumblebee relaxed his guard a bit, but then he heard rustling branches above him. He looked up and saw someone descending upon him.

 Bumblebee jumped aside to avoid getting used a landing pad and spun around to aim his blaster at his assailant, who also pointed their weapon at his face. They took a moment to properly study each other before lowering their weapons.

 “I thought we were supposed to be training together, Arcee. You nearly scared me half to death.” The yellow Autobot sighed.

 “Sorry, I had to make sure you weren’t the enemy.” Arcee said, not taking her eyes off the surroundings. Bumblebee had to admire how she could hold a conversation and stay focused on the environment at the same time, but considering who they were up against, such concentration was necessary. “That light show probably gave away our position, so we better relocate before he gets the jump on us.”

 “You mean like this?”

  A silver Autobot, Jazz, fell down between them and performed a fluid spin-kick that knocked Arcee and Bumblebee apart. Arcee tried to shoot him, but he crouched under her blasts and kicked the gun from her hand. She back-flipped away from him and took out her melee weapons-two orange energo-rapiers and slashed at Jazz with quick, wide reaching strikes and slashes that he nimbly dodged. Jazz took out a pair of laser nun-chucks and spun them around his body at speeds only a master of such a weapon could achieve. He used them to block and deflect her swords with enough force to send vibrations up her arms.

 Bumblebee rushed at Jazz from behind and fired his blaster, but Jazz flipped over Arcee, using her as a shield to block the bolts (they were set on stun, thankfully) and he kicked her at the scout. Both Autobots tumbled to the ground, but Arcee jumped back up to face Jazz…only to find him gone.

 “Scrap!” She muttered. She felt something behind her and turned around, only to get bonked on the head by one of Jazz’s nunchaku, and she tumbled to the ground in a daze.

 Bumblebee tried to grab Jazz, but the silver mech grabbed his arm and twisted it, using the scout’s weight and momentum to spin Bumblebee in the air and kicked him into a tree. Jazz spun his nunchucks and pointed them at his face, lightly poking him in the nose.

 “And that’s game.” Jazz grinned. He put his weapons away and helped Bumblebee up. “You guys did good, better than yesterday at least.”

 “That doesn’t help my self-esteem.” Bumblebee grumbled. As if to add insult to injury, a branch broke off and fell on his head, breaking on his little yellow horns. “Why did I agree to this again?”

 “Because you needed some help with your close combat skills. That’s why.” Jazz replied. He reached down and helped Arcee to her feet, keeping her steady. “You okay, Cee?”

 “I’m fine, but did you have to hit me so hard? My head’s ringing like a church bell.” She groaned.

 “Sorry ‘bout that. I had to make sure you were out for the count. You’re a hard girl to keep down.” He said. Jazz stood before the two Autobots to give them their lesson for the day. “Now tell me, what did you two do wrong?”

 Bumblebee struggled for an answer, but Arcee was quick on the draw. “We weren’t working as a team.”

 “Exactly. When going up against a strong opponent, always have someone with you for an assist, and to watch your back. Working as a coherent unit increases your chances of survival and success.”

 So if we do a better job of working together next time, does that mean we might stand a chance of beating you?” Bumblebee asked hopefully.

 “Nah, it’ll be a long time before that happens.” Jazz snorted. “But it will make fighting a dysfunctional Decepticon unit easier. Primus knows they’re teamwork is garbage.”

 “Modest, isn’t he?” Bumblebee whispered to Arcee as Jazz walked back to their ship.

 “No, just telling it as it is.” Arcee smirked and nudged his shoulder. “Come on, we’ve got recon in five.”

 Bumblebee groaned. “Oh joy.”

XXXXXX

 Darren sat in his history class taking notes diligently as his teacher read out the current subject they were doing. While he was no brain child like his best friend, the subject his homeroom teacher was lecturing the class on was one of his favorite subjects to hear about.

 “The Age of Wonders was a designated era in human history where we believe mankind once had access to science and technology more advanced than even our modern society.” Diana Masters, history teacher at Heartsgrace Middle School, said to the class. After making sure that her students were paying attention and not just scribbling doodles or sleeping, she continued with her lecture. “It is hard to accurately calculate when exactly this time period was, but experts say that the Age of Wonders began at least 3000 BVC. During this age many regions of the world where today’s countries are located harbored great cities and advanced machinery that all share common designs despite being thousands of miles apart. Any ideas on how this was possible?”

 Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gina raise her hand. “Yes, Gina?”

 “It was the Arian Empire?” Gina answered.

 “Correct,” Diana nodded. “The Arian Empire was the most powerful nation in the world during the Age of Wonders and records suggest that they were the reason for such advanced technology being so widespread around the globe. They were only conquerors in name, and many regions under their control were allowed to maintain their customs and general authority under their rule. This is why tech such as the ancient Vimana aircraft and the golem automatons can be found in almost every part of the world. How these machines worked and most details of the Age of Wonders was presumably lost when the Void Century came about, though we can still find numerous settlements and structures all over the world today.” The bell rang as she finished up and clapped her hands. “Class dismissed, and remember to read pages 28-31 in your textbooks for Monday’s quiz.”

 Darren quickly made his way to his locker as hundreds of students filed out of the classroom. Annie met up with him at their lockers, which were conveniently right next to each other as well. “So how was your day, bro?”

 “It went about as well as it could without Billy and Fred trying to shoot spitball.” Darren remarked.

 “And failing horribly.” Annie smirked. She pictured Darren’s tormentors trying to shoot spitballs at him in class, only for Darren to telekinetically flick them away before they could even touch him. She could only imagine the dumb looks on their faces.

 “Did you run into Gina yet?” He asked. “I haven’t seen her all morning and she was hush-hush when I texted her at homeroom.”

 “We had gym together. Gina was bouncing off the walls, but she didn’t explain any further, only that she had something to show us.” Annie grumbled and crossed her arms. “It’s not like Gina to be so secretive.”

 “Eh, that’s just how she works. Trying to figure out her thought process gives me a headache, so I stopped a long time ago.” Darren said, and chuckled when Annie punched his shoulder with a grin.

 “Be nice.” She laughed.

 “Darren! Annie!” They turned to see a familiar golden haired girl running down the hall, nearly knocking over a teacher who was passing by and continuing without so much as a quick apology. Gina Harkins what many would consider a child genius, a girl with high grades and a strong love for all things historical, the result of being the child of an archaeologist father and a martial artist mother. She was a cute girl, with long blonde hair, blue eyes hidden behind a pair of round glasses and a rather developed body for her age. She was the twins’ best friend since kindergarten and was their resident Einstein whenever she made something out the many scraps in her so-called “workshop”.  “Annie, did you tell Darren about our plans later?”

 “Yeah, I gave him the rundown.” Annie said. “Now are you going to give us a hint as to what has you looking like you found the secret to immortality?”

 “That’s something I’m saving for afterschool.” Gina had that cheeky grin she had when she knew something juicy that no one else knew. “Meet me at the caves around the place you two went hiking with Debbie. I’m going to be a little late since I need to get a few things from home, but I’ll be there!” She gave Darren a wary glance. “You…are coming right, Darren?”

 “Of course I am,” Darren smiled, unknowingly setting Gina’s fears at ease. “Someone has to make sure that you stay out of trouble.”

 “Great! Remember, go to the caves straight after school, no detours, no excuses. I’ll see you two later!” Gina skipped off with a bright smile on her face, leaving the twins behind.

 Once she was gone, Darren ran a hand down his face. “I really hope this doesn’t blow up in our faces.”

 Annie swung an arm around his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Darren, you won’t get into any trouble with me around!”

 “That’s because I’ll be too busy keeping an eye on you girls instead.” Darren said. He laughed at the cross look his twin sent him.

XXXXXX

 The Decepticon command bunker in Tennessee was the nexus point where the Decepticon infiltration unit would use as their base of operations on Terra, conducting any and all operations from within the bunker, protected from any human radar waves and hidden from Autobot sensors. Most bunkers were made from the very ships the unit used to get to that planet, for better mobility and utility.

 Starscream’s unit had built the bunker into the side of a mountain in Tennessee, far from civilization and made using materials locally procured (stolen) or transported from the off-world factories across the galaxy near that region of space. It was a good thing the bunker was constructed away from human habitation, as the base was far from covert-its silver metallic appearance and alien design contrasted the natural brown shades of rock it sat against. While it was far from tactical to have such a crucial location stand out like that, other would argue that its presence alone would instill fear in those who gazed upon it-a belief continually proposed by Starscream, Aerospace Commander of the Seeker armada. The red and silver flyer shot over the nearby forest like a bullet, slowing down as he got to the base and transformed in an ostentatious flurry of shifting parts and landing on the outstretched landing deck.

 “You certainly took your time getting back.” A deep red mech said, standing in front of the entry way. His very stance shouted flawlessness and extravagance, with armor that was smoothly and polished from many hours of arduous waxing and buffing to ensure that his finish was as new as the day he was forged. “Off to hoard more energon for yourself, are we?”

 “Don’t start with me, Knockout.” Starscream grumbled. “I was just scouting for any deposits that we haven’t discovered yet. It’s a big continent after all.”

 “Starscream, far be it from me to try and tell you to straighten up, but this is a dangerous game you’re playing.” Knockout, the unit’s field medic, crossed his arms and raised his metal eyebrow. “We should have started Phase 1 by now. Megatron won’t like us screwing around under his nose.”

 Starscream held up a hand to quiet Knockout. There was a reason he chose the medic to be his personal confidant on this team, and it was because he was both a skilled medic and scientist, but also because Knockout had a mind that worked like his. He didn’t have to worry about him taking his position so long as he buttered Knockout up, which was better than some of the alternatives on this team. Though his nagging was getting a bit repetitive.

 “Thank for your concern, Knockout,” Starscream said, knowing full well that it was out of self-preservation, not loyalty, that made the medic cautious. “But I am in command here. Megatron is too busy leading this dull war of attrition against the Autobots. I’m simply taking the initiative and setting the stage for a major Decepticon victory.”

 Knockout gave a skeptical “Mhmm.”

 Starscream threw an arm around his shoulders as they walked back into the bunker. “Knockout, this planet is a gold mine. Its natural resources alone make this the perfect staging ground for my-our ambitions. And all this energon growing on it is a bonus.”

 “If we actually figure out why is energon growing here in the first place.”

 We’ll figure that out along the way.” Starscream waved away Knockout’s concerns. “Now come, Knockout. We have a war to win.”

XXXXXXX

 “A whole stellar cycle and a half on this planet and we still haven’t seen any sign of the Decepticons aside from Starscream back in Kokomo.” Prowl sighed as he looked at Ironhide and Jazz across the meeting table. The trio sat in the command center of their ship, the Antlion, in a debriefing. “Not to mention we have yet to see any signs of the infiltration protocol.”

 “Aside from a few local hot spots on the planet, which is painfully common with the humans,” Jazz said dully, tapping his stylus on the table. “It’s not like Screamer to be so quiet for this long.”

 “Probably doesn’t want to catch Megatron’s attention.” Ironhide, a big, burly red mech with two cannons on his forearms, grumbled. “It’s obvious Starscream is breaking the rules here. But aside from the energon, what else is making him break protocol like this?”

 “I don’t know.” Prowl admitted after a pause, and he hated not knowing all the answers in a battlefield theatre.

 His tactical response unit had been stationed on Terra for a little more than a year now in based on intel of Starscream setting up shop on the planet. Since landing on Terra, the first thing that caught the Autobots off guard was the high levels of energon that seemed to have been locally produced instead of imported off-world. That alone merited further study.

 Furthermore, the planet’s native inhabitants, humans, were another anomaly. On Terra, the human race was divided into two categories-regular humans called naturals, and super powered individuals called espers. At the turn of the century, the previously clandestine espers had risen in numbers, numbering in the millions, and the world was now trying to find ways to deal with espers; some nations treated them as people, others were hunted down, many discriminated against. Delpoi, the continent they were stationed in, was somewhat in the middle, though its people leaned more towards the discriminatory side. The levels of violence committed against espers and their families was appalling.

 In addition to that, much of the First World nations’ militaries employed giant 4 meter tall robots called talos, which humans piloted in a division of the military called the Mobile Armor Division. These mecha were supposedly based in design off the golems-automatons that were once used by the ancient Arian empire that existed millions of years ago. They pelted in comparison to the average cybertronian in technological terms, though Prowl wasn’t taking any chances.

 So many wild cards to take note of should this operation go south. Prowl wasn’t counting on the humans getting involved, but Starscream’s erratic behavior was something that worried him.

 “We need to force the Cons into action. Spool a little to force them into tipping their hands.” Jazz said.

 “How do we do that? Lure ‘em out with energon like shock-rats?” Ironhide asked.

 Jazz shrugged. “It’s just a thought. Better than sitting here twiddling our thumbs.”

 “Right now, we just need to secure the planet’s energon supply.” Prowl said. “If I know Starscream, and I’m sure we all do, then the energon is going to attract his attention. Until then, we keep our ears to the ground and eyes to the sky for anything that might seem unusual.”

 “Better than nothing.” Jazz grinned and stood up. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna spend my afternoon listenin’ to some good ole J-pop.”

 “God damn it.” Ironhide groaned. Another afternoon of Jazz blasting that damn human music right next door. Just his damn luck.”

XXXXXX

 Annie took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, a large smile on her face. “Smell that Darren? That’s the smell of the great outdoors! The smell of adventure and excitement!”

 “And broken bones if you’re not careful.” Darren grumbled. “Stop trying to make this seem like something other than a bunch of kids screwing around in the forest.”

 Annie gave her brother a grin as she set her skateboard next to his bike alongside a prominent outcropping. “”Come on, this’ll be fun! When was the last time we did something like this together?”

 “Early this summer, in June, before I broke my leg after you pushed me off a damn cliff into a lake.” Darren replied. Annie winced and rubbed the back of her head.

 “In my defense, I thought that lake would’ve been deeper. But come on, have an open mind about it. This might be the perfect chance to test out your powers.”

 Darren sighed, but decided to humor Annie. “All right, if you really want me to enjoy this, then I won’t complain too much. But if we die, I’m whooping your ass on the other side.”

 “Deal.”

 Gina arrived five minutes later on a pristine white moped, a custom model she rebuilt from an old moped that she dug up from the local junkyard where she got her materials. “Howdy fellow explorers! Gina Harkins is here!”

 “You rode here on your moped?” Annie blinked. “On this terrain?”

 “Yup, it’s a special model I outfitted with some alterations I made. It has an adjustable axis that allows it to balance itself on uneven terrain.” Gina patted her little ride with a biker’s pride. “Just another invention from your neighborhood genius.”

 Darren gave a little smiled and studied their surroundings. Rising out of the landscape before them was a small mountain, one of many that dotted the region outside Tranquility, just east of the downtown area and being within an hour’s bike ride of the suburbs the three lived in. the area was safe enough for the kids to visit, albeit unattended and unsupervised.

 “So we’re all here, Gina. Now what’s this little surprise you wanted to show us?”

 Gina smiled and reached into her backpack, pulling out a large crystal shard. Darren and Annie were immediately awestruck by the strange mineral; it was almost as long as a pencil, and a bright blue, glowing faintly in the shade of the trees overhead. Gina looked smug at the soft “wow” the twins made.

 “Oh my god,” Darren whispered. “What is it?”

 “No idea,” Gina shrugged. “I found this sticking out of the ground while I was looking for some quartz around here last Sunday.”

 “Hold up, you’ve been lugging this thing around for three days and you don’t know what it is?”

 “Well, originally I thought it was just some kind of discolored mineral, but when I took it to Kelly-you know, that slightly crazy geologist lady who lives down the street from me?-and she said that it wasn’t hephaestium. In fact, it was like nothing she had ever seen before. All she could tell me was that it was crystalline, like diamond.”

 “Do you think you discovered a new mineral?” Darren asked.

 “That would be so cool if you did!” Annie grinned. “Can you imagine all the money you’ll make if you sell that?”

 “Forget the money, Annie!” Gina exclaimed. “This could be a new power source that could potentially rival, or maybe even surpass, fossil fuels! Junkies, just thinking of its applications gets me all fired up!”

 “I wanted to check out this cave, since I found the crystal not too far from the entrance. But I figured it would be unfair to go in without taking you two with me.” Gina rocked on her heels as she made her request. “So…are you in?”

 “Oh you know it, Gina! How can I pass up this wonderful opportunity to make some green?” Annie gushed, dollar signs flashing in her eyes.

 Gina shyly turned to Darren, making sure she had her trademarked Puppy Dog Eyes activated for maximum effect. “Darren?”

 “Yeah, count me in.” Darren smiled. “I’m not just going to leave my best friend hanging.”

 “Great! Let’s get this expedition started!” The blonde cheered.

 “We’re exploring for hidden treasure!” Annie yelled.

 “Girls, please be careful.” Darren warned then, but the girls paid him no heed as they entered the cave.

 “Jinkies, this is so exciting!” Gina squealed.

 “I know, right?” Annie giggled.

 “And they ignore me.” Darren sighed and followed them into the cave. This afternoon was going to be a long one.

The next couple of minutes passed in silence. None of the three children making much noise, before tremors went through the tunnel. Immediately they crouched low to the ground for better stability.

 “I thought you said there weren’t any volcanoes in this area, Annie!” Darren yelled.

 “There aren’t!” Reflecting on her sources, Annie admitted, “At least, Wikipedia said this area’s clean.”

 Before Darren could give further protest, Gina chimed in for him. “This is what you get for not checking proper sources! You should’ve stuck with the National Geological Survey site!”

 Another few minutes passed before the shaking finally stopped, and the kids took notice of an opening within the rock wall. It was revealed when chunks of rock were dislodged from the shaking.

 “What do we have here?” Gina’s glasses glinted in the dark as she took in this new discovery.

 “Don’t know, don’t care,” Darren said. “I don’t know about you guys, but I say we leave before another earthquake starts up.”

 And miss out on being the first to explore a new tunnel system? No way!” Pulling out a flashlight from her bag, Gina stood up and scrambled in. “C’mon guys, this is great!”

 Both Darren and Annie reluctantly followed, their flashlights helping to illuminate the cave they found themselves in. it wasn’t particularly large; barely enough for them to stretch their arms up above their heads and touch the ceiling or the opposite walls, but it was comfortable enough for them to move around easily. As they went deeper into the tunnels, flashlights keeping them aware of their surroundings in front of them, the trio remained cautious-while there was much chance of another earthquake, there was still the possibility of an aftershock (rare as they may be), and none of the three liked the idea of being stuck in their newly discovered cave.

 As his flashlight’s beam went over a nearby wall, a glint caught Darren’s eye. “Hey guys, look at this!”

 “Where?” Annie asked.

 “Right where my beam ends. Do you see that?”

 At the end of the light, there was an exposed bit of something metallic, grayish blue in color.

 “Some kind of crystal?” Annie implored as Gina walked over to study it.

 “Wait, this isn’t rock. It’s…some kind of metal.” She said.

 “Metal?” Annie snorted. “What, you think it could be some UFO?”

 “Let’s not jump to any conclusions.” Gina cautioned. She felt along the surface and, feeling something akin to a door, then added, “Okay, on second thought, maybe you’re right.”

 Placing her bag down and setting her flashlight on it so its light was on her, Gina reached in and pulled out a crowbar. The twins stared at it, confused.

 “Why do you have a crowbar?” Darren asked. Gina smirked cattily at him.

 “An explorer is always prepared. Annie, help me with this.” Gina and Annie put the crowbar against the hatch and pushed down as hard as possible, but the doors would not budge with such meager strength. Grunt in exertion, Annie glanced at Darren.

 “A little help would be nice.” She grunted.

 Darren nodded and the girls stepped back as he worked his magic. As a telekinetic, his powers had practically no limits, but he rarely used them for more than picking up objects no heavier than a chair. Reaching out with his senses, he visualized two invisible hands pulling the hatch open. The girls watched entranced as the hatch shook and groaned before slowly pulling it apart in tandem with Darren’s hand movements. Another minute passed before the hatch was split open with a loud metallic clang.

 “There, easy as pie.” Darren breathed. That was a little more difficult than he thought. He knew amalgams who could do things like this in his sleep, but he was slightly out of practice.

 “Great job, bro.” Annie said, patting him on the back.

 “Okay, Annie, looks like you actually shot straight for once,” Gina gulped as she view their handiwork. “It might actually be a UFO.”

 “Sweet.” Annie said. “So…what do we do now?”

 “We go inside, of course.” Gina answered. “For all we know, this could be a first contact situation. And I am definitely hype enough to be one of the first humans to meet an alien.”

 She picked up her crowbar from underneath the hatch. As Darren’s raised eyebrow, she blushed and shrugged. “For protection.”

 The kids looked at each other, and then Darren decided to lead the way through the hatch. The moment he stepped through, however, the small structure suddenly became illuminated, strong artificial lights blinking into existence.

 “Must be automatic.” Darren noted.

  “Wow,” Gina breathed. “This place is amazing.”

 The pod was large, about the size of a small dining room in a modern home. It was circular, with a few computer displays made near the hatch and a collection of size pods in the center of a support column.

 “Well this isn’t so bad.” Darren said as he moved towards the center column. “No way this was made by human hands. Just look at this writing! We better not-“

 A high-pitched alarm suddenly went off, forcing them to cover their ears. Darren looked over at Annie as she pressed a button and shut the alarm off. She gave a weak laugh at her companions’ glares. “Oops, sorry.”

 Gina let out an exasperated sigh. “Nice going, Annie. ‘Oh, a shiny red button, let’s press it and see what it does!’ You’re lucky we’re still talking to each other!”

 “Hey, I said I was-“ Another beeping sound went off and all eyes turned to Annie, who held up her hands. “Wasn’t me.”

 A small portion of the console extended outwards, a bright orange object rising from it. It looked like a digital camcorder, but then it sprouted a head, legs and wing-like appendages. The small robotic bird tested its joints, and looked around with its camera-like lens, its head bobbing up and down. The children stared at it in silence until Darren asked what was on all their minds. “What is it?”

 “Some kind of robot.” Just as Gina said those words, the robot bird activated tiny jets on its wings, leapt off the console and flew out of the pod, back through the way they came from.

XXXXXX

 Several quick beeps roused the attention of a large, charcoal black Decepticon as he was began to drift off, prompting to return his full attention to the computer screen before him. Boredom from hiding and no action had become so unsatisfying that Blackout had hoped none of the higher-ups minded him resting his eyes before the console gave him a wake-up call.

 Just as he began to check over the signal, it suddenly stopped. “Okay, that’s weird.”

 “Something wrong, Blackout?” An elegant voice asked.

 Blackout quickly straightened up as he was addressed by the Decepticon’s first lieutenant, Nightshade. She was a tall, lithe, black and white femme with curved extensions on her head and narrow dark purple eyes. Her frame was adorned with parts of her beast mode-the most visible being the black avian head on her chest and the large black wings on her back that were folded in to allow her clearance. Nightshade was a deadly warrior, one of the best, who was Megatron’s second in command and his “shadow” as some dubbed her. Few bots in the Cons had such strong loyalty as hers, and it was one of reasons she was so high up the food chain.

 Blackout cleared his throat. “Nothing serious, Nightshade, just an old Cybertronian signal, extremely powerful. Strange thing is, it wasn’t coming from any of our territories or the Autobots’-it was coming from the uncharted region.”

 “Where specifically?” A raspy, commanding voice thundered. Both Nightshade and Blackout immediately stood at attention as the speaker entered the comm-station, heavy footfalls in his wake.

 “A little over a parsec away, Lord Megatron. I’ll replay it for you.”

 Cueing up the necessary program, Blackout replayed the transmission. A quick burst of information, displayed on the screen via a rapidly shifting series of bars and lines, flashed before them until the playback ended. Nightshade’s eyes narrowed into slits when she noticed some of the numbers after freezing the playback.

 “That signal’s coming from a small part of the uncharted region, near its borders.” She said. She not-so-gently nudged the helo aside to re-read the data to compare its position to a set of coordinates. “The direction it came from was the planet Starscream’s team is stationed.”

 Megatron frowned at the mention of Starscream, but he considered the transmission thoughtfully. Starscream’s location and this sudden pulsewave was no coincidence. “Computer, pen communications channel 3-22-200.”

 A few seconds later, a monotone voice answered back. “Megatron, you wish to inquire about the unusual transmission?”

 “Correct, Soundwave. Can you verify its origins?”

 “I can do more than that-I can identify its source.” Soundwave said. “That specific frequency was used for the wavelength of the Exodus.”

 Nightshade looked up sharply from the monitor, eyes widening in surprise. “It can’t be.”

 “But it can…and most likely is,” A smile on his face, the Decepticon warlord turned to the monitor. “Soundwave, have the Nemesis lock onto that signal’s origin point and ready our crew for a fold.”

 “Megatron?” Nightshade inquired

 “Nightshade, if we detected that signal, then chances are high that the Autobots have as well. That ship belonged to the Minicons, and if we can get to them first, then it will grant us a massive strategic advantage.” Megatron stared out at the sea of stars before him. “We have been given a rare opportunity, one I do not intend to squander.”

XXXXXX

 As soon as he received the call, Ironhide left skid marks on the floor in his haste by the time he reached the bridge. “You sure you’ve got the right signal, Wheeljack?”

 “Something this important and you’re asking me that?” Wheeljack, the team’s mechanical engineer, said. He was frantically running his fingers over the terminal, the monitor giving him a positive match for the signal. “No way was that anything else-it’s the Exodus!”

 “You sure?” Ironhide asked, earning him a wrench thrown at his head that he ducked under. “Okay, I’ll stop asking!”

 “The Exodus, of all places?” Prowl frowned. To think it would end up on this planet, it was a powder keg waiting to happen. “This will certainly light the fuse on this whole operation.”

 “We need to call in boss-bot.” Jazz said, but Prowl stopped him with a hard glare.

 “No, we don’t need to drag Optimus into this.” Prowl said firmly. He pressed a button on the computer. “Teletran, have any Autobots we have on recon ground bridged to the signal’s origin point. The rest of you are on standby. Time is of the essence and we don’t have a moment to spare!”

XXXXXX

 “ _Prime, Magnus, we’ve just picked up a distress beacon. Frequency matches what’s in our records, and I hate to say it, but…it’s the Exodus!”_

Interrupted just as he and Ultra Magnus began to enter his office, the Autobot leader exchanged a brief glance with his second in command before answering his comm-link. “Have you verified it?”

 “ _Checked and double-checked them, sir. It’s them.”_

Ultra Magnus frowned, his large, blue eyes dimming with stress. “I knew it was only a matter of time. Do you think anyone else picked up on it?”

 “As powerful as the transmitters were on that ship, I’m not taking any chances.” Returning to his vid-monitor, Optimus gave his orders. “Smokescreen, contact Perceptor and Leadshot. I want my ship prepped and ready to depart as soon as possible.”

 “ _Understood, Prime.”_

XXXXXX

 “What the hell was that, Barricade?!” Starscream yelled. Just seconds ago, he got news of an unknown Cybertronian signal that lasted only a few seconds before cutting off. “Where did it come from?”

 “Yell in my face again, Starscream, and I’ll punch your denta out!” Barricade growled.

 “Don’t talk to your superior officer like that, you plebian!” Starscream replied with equal ferocity. “Tell me what that signal was, now!”

 “That’s what we’re trying to find out, Starscream.” Knockout said, looking the data over. “It wasn’t of Autobot origin, but it was definitely Cybertronian. Really old, too. Almost…oh my.”

 “What?”

 “It says the signal came from the Exodus, that lost Minicon starship.”

 Starscream stared at Knockout for almost a minute before a smile spread across his lips and his eyes brightened with greed. “This is it, Knockout! My opportunity!” He laughed. “Those Minicons are my ticket to rising to the position as overlord of the Decepticons! Just their power boost alone could allow me to kill Megatron a thousand times over!”

 His elation was popped like a bubble when Barricade gave another bit of unexpected news. “We’re getting an incoming Decepticon signal from orbit.”

 “Huh?” Starscream pushed Barricade aside and read the message. “No…”

 “Hmm. Looks like your plans might have to be put on hold, Starscream.” Knockout grinned after looking at the screen.

 “No, no, no…”

 “I believe the humans call this karma.” Barricade cackled.

 “Shut up, both of you!” Starscream shoved a finger in Barricade’s face. “Call them back and tell them to get the hell away from my planet! This world is under my jurisdiction!”

 “Too late,” Knockout pointed outside. “He’s already here.”

 “He…frag!” If Starscream had any blood, his face would be deathly pale by now. He ran out of the bunker onto the landing pad and was greeted with the sight of a massive Decepticon warship descending upon the forest.

 The dark purple ship was stretched nearly two miles long, with a dagger-like beak at the front and red stripes glowing from the shard-shaped wings. Armed to the teeth with some of the most advanced and devastating weaponry in the galaxy, and equipped with heavily encrypted stealth cloaking, this vessel was the crown jewel of the Decepticon Space Fleet.

 It was the Nemesis, the flagship of the Decepticon Empire and the personal vessel of Megatron, founder and leader of this mighty war engine called the Decepticons.

XXXXXX

 Annie peered out of the room, searching for the small drone, but seeing no sign of it in the tunnel. “What do you think that was all about?”

 “Maybe it was some kind of UAV.” Darren said. “You know, like unmanned drones the military uses.”

 “Possibly,” Gina began to pack her things, making sure to have her crowbar on hand. “Whatever it is, I don’t think we should be here when it comes back. Let’s just take a quick look around, make sure there aren’t any more surprises and leave.”

 “Okay, just whatever you do, don’t-“

 “Touch anything. Got it.” Annie said.

 The small drone soon returned, swooping past the kids before hooking itself back into its slot. The trio looked from the small robot to the screen above it, fragments of unrecognizable alien text and wire frame scans flashing across the monitor.

 “Guess I was right about that thing being a UAV.” Darren said and took a closer look at some of some of the scans. “Look, it scanned out stuff and more!”

 The wire frame scans quickly took the shape of familiar objects. The kids recognized designs similar to Darren’s bike, Annie’s skateboard, Gina’s moped as well as a sports car, helicopter and fire truck.

 “Tiny UAVs that make the military jealous? Now I’ve seen it all.” Gina whistled in appreciation. “But why scan all this stuff? A little low tech if you ask me.”

 Several chimps sounded behind them, prompting Darren to turn back to the center column. “Um, girls? One of the pods is doing something.”

 One of the pods came online. After a series of status displays flashed across the screen, the monitor became static and a hatch popped open with a hiss, flipping to the side. Within the pod lay a thin, deep blue robot slightly smaller than them, its limbs colored light silver blue with a white mouth plate, sporting parts resembling a bicycle on its form.

 “What is it?” Darren questioned.

 “It’s an alien obviously.” Gina said, stepping forward.

 As if in response to her words, its eyes flashed on and the robot glanced over at the kids, speaking in a clearly male voice. “ _It_ has a name, thank you.”

 The kids jumped, clearly not expecting the robot to speak, let alone do so in their language. Giving the inwardly squealing Gina a wary glance, Darren stepped forward. “Yeah, sorry, we didn’t know you understood us, um…”

 “High Wire.” The robot said, moving his shoulder joints to regain some feeling in them. “It’s okay. Given the circumstances, understand your ignorance. And who are the three of you?”

 “I’m Darren; this is my sister Annie and our best friend Gina. Nice to meet you, I guess.” Darren said. When the little robot continued to stare unblinkingly at them, Darren grew nervous. “Um, is something wrong?”

 High Wire shook his head to clear away the diagnostic filters across his vision. “I’m sorry, I just wasn’t expecting to encounter sentient life on this planet-at least, none as developed as you are. Clearly many things have changed since I was last online.”

 Turning back to the contraption, Gina curiously poked it. “So this pod…is it some kind of sleep chamber?”

 “It’s actually a stasis pod, but yes Gina, that is an adequate analogy. We use them for long distance trips, emergency operations, or in my case, protect us from harm.” That was when High Wire noticed the switched on computer. Eyes wide, he jumped out of the pod and ran over to the console, reading the data on the screen, growing worried by the minute. “Who touched this console?”

 Darren and Gina pointed at Annie, who had the decency to look shy at all the attention. “Yeah, sorry about that. My bad.” She said, but then she got a little scared. “Wait, I didn’t activate some self-destruct sequence or something, did I?”

 “Nothing of the sort. What you did was activate the distress beacon that can only be activated on a Cybertronian wavelength.” High Wire explained.

 “And why is that a bad thing?” Darren asked.

 High Wire studied Darren for a moment before nodding. “Well, since you’ve found me, I should probably give you all the details.”

 “Yes, that would be nice.” Gina remarked, crossing her arms.

 “To begin, I and the others like me are called Minicons. We are members of a race of mechanical lifeforms native to the planet Cybertron, orbiting the star your people know as…Shaula, provided the star maps are correct. We had left our world to escape a civil war being fought between two major factions, the Autobots and Decepticons.” He explained. “It was a unanimous decision among the neutrals to leave the planet when it became clear resources were becoming scarce in the war, and to avoid the constant threat of slavery. You see, we Minicons have the power to enhance the abilities of our larger counterparts and that has gained us some unwanted attention from the Decepticons. Megatron, their leader, sought to…enlist as many Minicons as he could.”

 The kids winced at the level of scorn used on the word enlist. “Some joined him willingly, eager for a taste of the power and glory he promised them, but the vast majority chose to remain neutral. With the war growing in scale and becoming more destructive, maintaining our neutrality became harder to do. In order to escape enslavement or death, the Autobots helped us build a ship, the Exodus, to carry us from Cybertron. With their help, we managed to escape the Decepticons and travel away from Cybertron’s star system. But…things didn’t go as planned.”

 “What happened?” Gina asked.

 “I don’t know. Something went wrong with the engines, and the ship was forced out of fold space near your planet. My companions and I acted as a skeleton crew; while the rest of the Minicons went into stasis panels and were ejected as well fell into orbit. We climbed into escape pods and ejected before the ship crashed. Presumably, the Exodus is somewhere on this planet, with the individual panels scattered across its surface.”

 “And I’m guessing the signal I just activated will reactivate those panels?” Annie asked.

 “Yes. That was the default frequency, any properly adjusted communications band would be able to pick up without much difficulty. Odds are that any Cybertronian spacecraft or base near this region of space had already picked up on the frequency even the Decepticons.”  High Wire turned to the console uneasily. “Which means that the war could spread to this world as well…and we’re back where we started.”

 High Wire’s grim mood mirrored the seriousness of the situation. A whole ship of what were essentially wartime refuges scattered and stranded on an alien planet with no way to contact each other or their home planet. A worst case scenario for any alien.

 “Hold on!” Annie jumped to her feet. “You can’t just give up! No matter how quick that transmission was, the Decepticons can’t just zip over here in five seconds notice!”

 “They can’t but once they do, they’ll detect out biosignatures immediately.”

 Then leave. Get your friends out of those pods and come with us, back to our hometown.” Gina said earnestly. “We can hide you.”

 “Annie, Gina, what makes you think they’ll have a better chance there?” Darren asked. He was already starting to get nervous at the mention of these Decepticons and hoped that they didn’t suddenly pop up right in front of the mountain. “We can’t just take them home and hide them in the garage, hoping our families don’t find them.”

 Well we can’t just leave them here to roam the forest alone, advanced aliens or not, they won’t last long out here.” Gina replied. She turned to the Minicon. “High Wire, will you let us help you hide on our planet?”

 “Yes…yes, you may. Your plan might just work. There should be just enough electromagnetic interference to prevent Decepticon sensors from locking onto us fully. Sure, there may have been some advances in that area since our departure, but we don’t have time for new ideas.” High Wire’s eyes brightened with renewed hope. “Could you three lend me a hand, if you don’t mind? I must revive my friends as soon as possible.”

XXXXXX

 As his systems rebooted, the yellow Minicon’s optics slowly came back online after who knows how long and a familiar form came into focus after the protective shutters opened.

 “Sparkplug? How are you feeling?”

 The Minicon flexed his fingers, trying to regain their feeling back. “A little stiff, but I’ll be fine. How long have we been out?”

 If he had a mouth, High Wire would’ve given him a wry smile. “A very long time.”

 As Sparkplug shakily stepped from his pod with High Wire’s help, the kids were busy speaking to the other Minicons.

 “Okay, so how do you guys know English?” Gina asked, quickly jotting down notes in her pad. “And how are you able to transform into our vehicles?”

 One of the Minicons, a blue and black mech with yellow wing-like extensions on his shoulders, chuckled and pointed to the small avian-like drone. “That drone is called a Sky Spy. All cybertronians can transform into vehicles they scan, but if we’re unable to, these guys scan them for us and download the information into our brains.” He explained. “As for the language barrier-automatic translators! Pretty cool, huh?”

 Another Minicon, an orange femme with a gray, mouth less face and parts of a moped on her body crossed her arms. “I don’t see what temperature has to do with our technology, Grindor.”

 “It’s an expression, Sureshock.” Grindor rolled his eyes. “Lighten up girl. You could use a sense of humor.”

 “Now’s not the time for jokes.” Said Longarm, a dark brown Minicon with a crane on his back and a red patch of metal over his left eye. “You kids mind leading us out? The faster we get going, the better, and you don’t want to get left in the dust.”

 “We’re coming, Longarm.” Darren said and looked over at the red mech with helicopter blades on his back. “You ready, Jolt?”

 “Yup. All set.”

 Seeing that his systems were running fine, Sparkplug offered his hand to Annie. “Annie, right? High Wire tells me we have you to thank for us in being such a hurry.”

 The girl chuckled and accepted the offered hand. “Sorry about that.”

 “I’m just glad you found us and not someone else.” Sparkplug smiled and beckoned to the hatch. “Now, it’s your world, lead the way.”

 The kids retrieved their gear and, with the Minicons in tow, led them back out the cave. As they emerged from the cave, the Minicons partially closed their eyes, unused to such bright light after millennia of stasis. Finally adjusting their optics to the light, they marveled over the terrain that might be their new home.

 “Well I’ll be damned,” Jolt exclaimed, laughing jubilantly. “Look at all this vegetation! And the sun! Primus, I never thought I would see a sun again!”

 “This is going to take some getting used to.” Sureshock said. “I’ve never been on an alien planet before.”

 “Well, you’ll have plenty of time to get used to it.” High Wire said.

 As they made their way down the mountain, Sparkplug kept a close eye on their surroundings. “Everyone stick close and be on your guard. No telling what might-“

 A loud crack went through the air, a rush of wind blowing hard against the group as a large green portal appeared a few feet from them. Annie gaped at the vortex, struggling to keep her hair out of her eyes.

 “What the hell is that?!” She screamed.

 “A ground bridge? But how…oh no.” High Wire said, eyes widening in terror. “It’s him!”

 A massive being walked out of the portal. The Minicons immediate recognized the menacing robot approaching them, and the kids didn’t have to know who it was to know they were in trouble. He towered over them, a large, 35 foot tall gunmetal gray mech supported by large feet wide enough to crush a car (and already crushing the kids’ rides), a grim and dour expression on his face, and a long black fusion cannon mounted on his right arm.

 “Megatron.” Grindor gasped. How was the Decepticon leader on this planet? He couldn’t have gotten here so fast from Cybertron after catching the signal.

 “How nice to see you all here. I see the many vorns haven’t clouded your memory.” Megatron said in a low, deep voice. He turned his attention to the humans. “Fleshlings, you have found something that belongs to me. You have my thanks-depart and you may live to see another day. Remain and resist, and-“ His heel dug into the ground, further grinding the tiny vehicles underneath. “Well, you get the idea.”

 The sic Minicons tensed up, ready to try to protect themselves and their human friends among them. This prompted a laugh from the warlord.

 “How touching, if futile.” Megatron smirked. “Very well, it seems we’ll be doing this the hard way.”

 He pointed his fusion cannon at the group. Gina huddled closer to Darren, who was holding her and Annie close and trying not to shake in fear. Seconds before Megatron willed his cannon to fire, a new voice rang out.

 “Stand down, Megatron!”

 Minicon, human and Decepticon alike were surprised as a blue energy blast hit Megatron in the chest, causing him to stumble back right as he fired his fusion cannon. It released a large purple beam that tore through the tree tops and blasted a hole in the mountainside, way off its intended course. Megatron growled and set his angry gaze on the newcomer.

 “Prime!”

 Standing nearby was another mech-he was just a little shorter than Megatron, with red and blue armor, and visibly armed with a large black ion cannon with steam rising from the recently used weapon. Optimus Prime turned to the children and Minicons. “Run!”

 Longarm and Jolt fled, speeding away from the battle as quick as possible, soon disappearing into the forest in their alt modes. Exchanging a quick comm-burst themselves, the designated Street Action team also transformed-but not into the vehicle modes.

 Instead, the three Minicons seemed to merge into a singular being, each bot forming a body part-Sureshock forming the legs, Grindor becoming the arms and torso, and High Wire forming the head and shoulders. Together, they combined into a larger mechanoid, reaching about 10 feet in height upon combination. The newly formed gestalt-Centurion-quickly picked up the surprised children, carrying the twins under his arms and flipping Gina onto his back, and sped away on wheel-like feet.

 As his comrades and new friends fled to safety, Sparkplug raced towards Optimus, swerving around Megatron’s feet. The warlord made for the Minicon, but was held at bay by additional blasts from Optimus.

 “Shooting first, Prime? How un-Autobot of you!” Megatron retaliated with a blast from his fusion cannon, blasting Prime’s ion cannon from his hand with a well placed shot. “And yet still ineffective.”

 Optimus rolled aside to avoid another beam fired at him and held out his hand to Sparkplug. “Sparkplug, do it now!”

 Sparkplug flipped into the air, connecting himself to Optimus’s arm. As they connected, Optimus felt a jolt of energy surge through his arm, before the armor on his forearm shifted apart to allow a long, red hot blade to slide out. Raising his heated battle blade, Optimus gave Megatron a gladiator’s salute.

 “Now, where were we?”

XXXXXX

 Moving as fast as his motors could allow at his height, Jolt kept his sensors fixed in all directions and thanked Primus that Megatron was the only Con to appear so far. He was primarily trained in recon and wouldn’t last a nano-klik in combat. A fight was the last thing he needed.

 “Look what crawled out of the service package!” A gravelly voice yelled. Jolt yelled as an unfamiliar black and white mech appeared and charged after him. He was barely able to keep up his current speed and avoid the sharp fingers reaching for him. “Come on you piece of scrap!”

 Barricade snarled as the little red chopper weaved just out of his reach and above the braches. It was hard to keep up with all the vegetation in his way and the tiny creatures darting around his feet. Seeing that he wasn’t going to get his quarry like this, Barricade tried a different approach, grabbing onto a sturdy branch and lifting himself into the air to leap at Jolt. Before he could wrap his fingers around the red Minicon, an electrical blast hit him in the side and sent him crashing back to the ground.

 “Back off, Con!” Bumblebee yelled, his wrist panels retracted to deploy his twin electrical dischargers-his “stingers”.

 Barricade glared bloody murder at the scout. “Great, of all the bots on this stupid rock, I’m stuck fighting you. The Autobots’ mascot fresh out of his protoforms stage.”

 “I’m still old enough to knock you on your aft!”

 Bumblebee ran forward, jumping off a tree trunk to propel himself at Barricade, firing his stingers. Barricade rolled backwards, taking out his spinning gyro-blades and swinging them at Bumblebee, catching him in the arm. The scout hissed as the blades dug deep into the armor on his arm and landed on his back, hitting Barricade in the face with a spin-kick.

 Barricade stumbled back, but he recovered and grabbed Bumblebee’s arm, lifting him up and throwing him into a tree. The scout fired his stingers, but the agitating bolts did little to stop Barricade’s charge and he was forced to roll aside to avoid the deadly spinning blades that almost carved his chest out.

 “Wow.” He whistled when he saw the tree trunk got shredded like paper by the gryo-blades. Getting hit by that death trap was not an option. A couple of direct hits from those could leave him a pile of shredded strips of metal.

 “Kid, heads up!”

 Bumblebee saw Jolt’s red form flying at him, spinning through the air and attaching himself to the Autobot’s arm. Bumblebee jumped when he felt energy surge through his body as the powerlinkage caused his arm to transform into a much more impressive weapon than his stingers-a compact solar accelerator.

  “Oh yes!” He grinned. Barricade wasn’t impressed.

 “A fancy new weapon isn’t going to help you against me!”

 Barricade charged at Bumblebee and swung his blades, but a single shot from the scout’s weapon took off his arm at the elbow. Barricade stumbled back, looking at his smoking stump where his weapon arm used to be in shock.

 Bumblebee couldn’t help but be smug. “I think it’s doing a great job helping me so far. Don’t you agree?”

 He didn’t give Barricade time to answer as he fired another shot, the concussive blast hitting Barricade square in the chest and blasting off some pieces of his armor. One last shot blew him off his feet and sent him crashing headfirst into a large tree trunk.

 “Wow, this thing packs a punch!” Bumblebee said. He looked at the red Minicon on his arm. “Hey, Jolt right? Thanks.”

 “No need to thank me, Bumblebee,” Jolt said as he disconnected from Bee’s arm. “I should be thanking you.”

XXXXXX

 Longarm tore through the bushes as he ran from his relentless pursuer-a giant, heavily armored dark green and purple Decepticon with a single red eye uprooting trees in his mad charge. A missile hit the ground near him and Longarm was knocked sideways into a tree. His vision swam for a bit before he recovered just in time to see the Con stomping up to him.

 “Don’t try anything, Minicon!” Lugnut growled, aiming his integrated weapons at Longarm. “Surrender and pledge your loyalty to the mighty lord Megatron!”

 “Go frag yourself.” Longarm tossed a sticky bomb onto Lugnut’s foot and dived for cover. It detonated and Lugnut howled in pain as the explosion tore into his lower leg, where he had less armor than his upper body.

“You little bastard!” Lugnut cursed and pointed his shoulder cannon at Longarm, only for a wrecking ball to slam into the side of his head, making him tip over like an oak tree in a storm. A big green Autobot came barreling out of the trees and ramming into Lugnut, knocking him to the ground.

 “Bulkhead!” Longarm cheered, feeling elated that help finally arrived.

 Bulkhead spared Longarm a passing grin before he charged at Lugnut. The one eyed Con, still dazed from that first blow, fired pulse blasts from his cannon. Unfortunately for him, his dizziness only made his already sub-par aim worse.

 “Your aim sucks!” Bulkhead roared and clocked Lugnut in the face with his wrecking ball.

 The blow was like being punched by Ultra Magnus hopped up on nucleon-grade Engex, and was strong enough to shatter the optical lens over his eye. Another punch to the jaw sent Lugnut spinning into a tree, his immense weight causing the entire tree to tip over and topple to the ground with the mech on top of it, out cold and out of the battle.

 “Nice job,” Longarm praised as he jogged up to Bulkhead. “But you were cutting it a bit close there.”

 Bulkhead shrugged. “Everyone’s a critic.”

XXXXXX

 Twisting a bit more to get comfortable despite being held like a sack of potatoes, Darren struggled to get a better look at their new “friend”. Wait, High Wire, Grindor, er…what do we call you?”

 “Centurion.” The Minicon gestalt answered, leaping over a fallen log with ease. The loud roar of high powered engines cut through the air and Centurion looked skywards to see a silver and red fighter jet flying overhead. “Slag, it’s Starscream!”

 Before the kids could ask where Starscream was, they got their answer. A sleek fighter jet dived towards them, shifting into a giant mechanoid landing on the ground, kicking up dirt and grass as he skidded to a stop. Centurion held onto the kids protectively as Starscream stood in their path.

 “Leave it to Megatron to lose track of a Minicon and a couple of fleshlings. Pathetic.” Starscream grinned and pointed his arm cannons at them.

 Centurion let the children down. “Go. He’s only here for me, not you. You three need to run.”

 “What? No!” Gina refused. “We’re not ditching you!”

 “We’re going to get killed anyway. Might as well go down fighting for a cause.” Darren gulped. Centurion shook his head before preparing for a difficult battle against the Seeker.

 Fortunately, he didn’t need to fight, as a pink convertible drove into the clearing and sped towards Starscream, transforming into a lithe pink and white femme. Arcee leapt at Starscream, kneeing him in the face and knocking him into a tree. He fired his cannons at her, but she dodged his attacks with the skill of a highly trained warrior. She slid to her knees and fired a couple of laser bolts from her pistols at his knees.

 Starscream let out a curse and kicked the pistol from her hand, trying to get a shot on her. She grabbed his arm and twisted it into an obscene angle. She wasn’t going to give him the chance to transform and fight from the air. Putting the right amount of pressure on his arm, Arcee broke his limb, making the kids cringe at the sickening crack the joint gave before she delivered a hard kick to his head, pushing his face halfway through a tree trunk. He stumbled back, and Arcee slapped a tiny disc on his forehead.

 “Wha-ack!” Starscream’s body seized up and crumpled to the ground as a quick, but painful shock jolted his systems and knocked him out.

 “Holy shit, that was so one-sided.” Annie gasped. Her friends agreed.

 Arcee walked over to them and knelt down to their level. “Are you all okay?”

 “Yes, we’re fine. Thank you.” Centurion said and turned to the kids. “It’s okay. She’s an Autobot, one of the good guys.”

 “Finally,” Darren sighed in relief. “I was beginning to think the big guy was by himself.”

 “You mean Optimus Prime?” Arcee said, turning her sights back towards the mountain. “Don’t thank me yet. This battle is far from over.”

XXXXXX

 The two leaders continued to duel at the foot of the mountain-the Prime having lost his ion cannon and the warlord’s fusion cannon having been damaged. Even with the added power boost provided by Sparkplug, both combatants remained evenly matched, with the two having gone into close quarters combat and were deadlocked with their blades.

 “It seems we are at a stalemate, Prime!” Megatron smirked. “Even with your Minicon, you cannot defeat me!”

 “Give it time, Megatron! I’m’ just getting warmed up!” Optimus grunted. He delivered a powerful uppercut to Megatron’s chin, just as a line came over his opponent’s comm-link. It was Soundwave.

 “ _Megatron, the others have been rendered inoperative and have failed to retrieve the other Minicons. Enemy reinforcements imminent. Suggest tactical retreat.”_

Megatron growled at the news, blocking a kick from Optimus. “Enjoy this victory, prime! But know that this battle is only the beginning!”

 A ground bridge appeared behind him. Megatron kicked Optimus away and transformed to his silver tank mode, speed back into the portal. Optimus watched his mortal enemy vanish into the swirling green vortex and didn’t relax until it disappeared. Sparkplug disconnected from Prime’s arm and climbed up to his shoulder.

 “Teletran-1, can you detect any Decepticon signals in the area?” Optimus asked.

 “ _Negative, Optimus Prime.”_ The Ark’s supercomputer answered. “ _All Decepticons in the local area have retreated. Unable to track their ground bridge coordinates.”_

“Of course.” Optimus sighed. It was never that easy.

 “Optimus, what’s going on?” Sparkplug asked. “What is Megatron doing on this planet? As well as you for that matter? What about the war for Cybertron?”

 “That is a long story, Sparkplug. One I will tell you and the others later. For now, let us regroup with your new friends.”

XXXXXXX

 “YOU FOOLS!!!”

 The bridge of the Nemesis trembled, along with the assembled Decepticons at Megatron’s rage. Starscream didn’t look as scared as the others, but he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut and refrain from any witty remarks. Even he wasn’t going to push Megatron in this state. Following their failed mission, they had regrouped at the Nemesis, which was hovering outside the command bunker. Having lost the initiative, it was time to plan their next course of action. After Megatron was done venting his rage on his terrified subordinates.

 “B-but, my lord, the Autobots…” Barricade said, but was quickly cut off by Megatron.

 “Are nothing! They are a handful of warriors that barely match up to a squad of those idiotic Wreckers! You are Decepticons, my fighting elite! They should have been no match for you!”

 “They just caught us by surprise, mighty Megatron.” Lugnut said, still on his knees with his head bowed reverently. “Rest assured, we will be ready for them next time.”

 “If there is a next time.” Starscream muttered. He quickly clamped up at Megatron’s glare.

 “There is nothing to stress about, Megatron. Though the Autobots got a head start on the Minicons, keep in mind that there are hundreds more all over the world, most of them hidden within the depths of human myth and legend. If we stay on our toes, we can get them before the Autobots do, then we can take the fight to them.” Nightshade said, calming him down. She was always the voice of reason to Megatron, using her words to soothe his ever burning anger. Nightshade kept him calm and level-headed at times when losing his temper could damage his career at crucial moments.

 “Knockout, is there any way to locate the stasis panels without waiting for an activation signal?” Megatron asked.

 “From what little I know about Minicon technology…no. those little brats will activate at random. Until the next one activates, all we can do is wait.” Knockout answered.

 Megatron grunted but accepted this answer. “Fine then, as of today, I am taking operational control of this unit.”

 “You can’t do that! This is my post! I was doing fine before you stuck your nose here!” Starscream yelled. His attitude earned him a swift backhand from Megatron that sent him into the wall with a bloody lip. When he looked up, his head was engulfed by Megatron’s large hand and was slammed to the floor, with a large foot pressing down on his wings.

 “Because of you, we are over a year behind schedule on this planet. Our position is compromised by the Autobots, and you haven’t even made an attempt to begin the infiltration process. Thanks to your greed, we’ll have to improvise. I am in command now, and you will follow my orders to the letter.” Megatron growled. “Make any attempt to betray me and I will rip out your t-cog and make you swallow it whole! Do you understand me or do I need to have Skywarp draw you a damn picture?”

 “C-crystal clear, Megatron.” Starscream grunted, still having the audacity to refrain from using “lord” in Megatron’s name.

 Megatron kicked him away and turned to glare at the polarized glass on the front windshield. They had a once in a lifetime chance to achieve victory and he didn’t want anything to go wrong. This was the opportunity of a lifetime and Megatron planned to make good use of it.

XXXXXXX

 The Autobots regrouped back at the cave opening where the escape pod was discovered. Introductions were made around with names (which would’ve ended sooner had Gina not been asking questions a mile a minute). Optimus knelt down to the kids’ level to better speak to them without looking intimidating. Thankfully, they had already calmed down from the chaos earlier.

 “Children, on behalf of my people, I thank you for finding the Minicons and bringing them back online. The rest of my team is currently working to land my ship, so they should arriving within the next several minutes or so, once a decent course has been plotted.”

 “Um, Optimus…what happens once your ship lands? Will you just take the Minicons and leave?” Darren hesitantly asked. He didn’t want High Wire to leave, despite having just met him.

 The Autobot leader shook his head ruefully. “There are many more Minicons where these six came from, and Megatron is going to do everything in his power to find and enslave them all. Until he and his Decepticons can be located and defeated, we will be stationed on Terra for the time being.”

 “Not to mention keeping an eye on these three.” Bulkhead nodded towards the kids. “Megatron and Starscream both saw them with the Minicons. And that’s not a good thing for them.”

 “What do you mean?” Annie asked.

 “He means that since Megatron saw you with the Minicons, he would target you in the future on the belief that you might possibly know more, if not use you all as hostages.” Arcee explained.

 “As such, it is within your best interests to be watched over to ensure that you remain free of the danger the Decepticons now pose to you.” Optimus said. The Street Action team conversed among themselves before coming to an agreement and High Wire stepped forward.

 “Optimus, is it all right if my team watch over the children ourselves?” High Wire requested. “In a way, it was kind of our fault that they’re being targeted by the Cons. We’re better suited to keeping them safe from any surprises.”

 Optimus considered it for a moment before turning his gaze to the children. “Is this alright with you three? It’s your choice.”

 The children looked at each other before Gina stepped forward and smiled. “Of course we’ll accept them. They’re more than welcome to stay with us!”

 “That is more than enough, Gina.” High Wire said honestly, his eyes bright with gratitude. “Thank you.”

 This single moment would mark the beginning of a new conflict that would change the face of the Great War forever. A conflict that would deeply affect those involved both good and evil. This was the beginning of the War for Terra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Moving In

Chapter 2-Moving In

 Following the battle against Megatron’s forces at the mountainside outside Tranquility, Optimus Prime brought the children and Minicons to his vessel, where Prowl’s team was also being restationed-the Ark.

 The Ark was the primary starship of Optimus Prime-a Vanguard-class deep space interceptor that was the Autobot equivalent of Air Force One. It was a golden-orange vessel towering over the landscape and dwarfing everything below. At its front was a large, rounded section, a small projection at its tip and a long ridge running up its top. A long thick neck connected the front to the rest of the ship, a block area with two wings littered with numerous engines and a dome-like structure at its top.

 “My god…it’s huge!” Darren gasped. “How big is this ship?”

 “Two-hundred and seventy-five meters in length. Believe it or not, its one of our smaller ones.” Wheeljack said as he walked up to them. “Name’s Wheeljack, Autobot engineer and one of the bot’s who designed this beauty.”

 “This is AMAZING!” Gina exclaimed. Her head looked like it was going to pop off from the sheer levels of excitement she was emitting.

 “I’m glad you like it, Gina.” Wheeljack said proudly.

 “Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m in an actual alien ship with real extraterrestrials.” Gina gushed. “It’s like a sci-fi cartoon, but with better aliens! Junkies, I’m starting to feel faint!”

 “Careful, Gina, you’re drooling.” Sureshock chuckled.

 Darren looked at the archway that once held the giant green portal that brought them there. “What was that portal thing that we drove through to come here?”

 “That’s the ground bridge.” Jazz answered. “It allows us to get around the world without having to pay for airplane tickets. All we have to do is type in the coordinates into Teletran-1 and drive to our destination. Takes literally five seconds to do.”

 “So I could use this to visit Akibahara in Edo and be back in time for dinner?” Gina gaped.

 “Yup, though it’s a bit rough for first timers like you.” Jazz grinned. He was loving the blonde’s enthusiasm. It was infectious!

 “How about Bulkhead and I give you guys a tour of the ship?” Arcee asked kindly. The kids nodded excitedly with their new Minicon guardians.

 “Ooh! I wanna ride on the big guy’s shoulder!” Annie exclaimed.

 Bulkhead looked unsure, but Jazz nodded his consent. He leaned down and held out his large hand, allowing Annie to jump into his palm and drag Grindor with her. Annie was like a kid on her birthday as she and Grindor rode on Bulkhead’s shoulder. The rest followed Arcee, Jazz and Bumblebee down the hall.

 In the Ark’s command center, Optimus was talking with Prowl and Ironhide about this sudden change in affairs. As expected, Prowl was less than happy at allowing the natives access to Autobot technology. Ever the rule follower, he protested even allowing the kids unrestricted access to the ship without their holomatters.

 “Prime, you know it’s against protocol to allow the humans free reign of the ship.” Prowl said firmly in his respectable, but somehow still condescending tone he always addressed his comrades whenever they did something he didn’t like. “They should be placed in a biological containment cell until we can figure out what to do with them.”

 “Prowl, the children have seen enough without our interference.” Ironhide said. “And High Wire pretty much told them everything. We can’t hide them if they know about the war and our presence on this world.”

 “And the children are at risk due to their involvement with the Minicons. If they are going to be under our protection, then we must earn their trust and acceptance.” Optimus said.

 “The children are in as much danger here as they are out there. They don’t have armor like us. One wrong move and they’ll go squish!” Prowl stomped his foot to emphasize his point.

 But Optimus wasn’t deterred in his decision. “Then we must simply watch our step.”

 The children were having the time of their lives. They were simply awestruck at the scale of the Ark, large even in comparison to the Autobots themselves. Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee showed them the crew quarters, the engine room, the computer hub where the ship’s main AI Teletran-1 resided and finally the recreation room. There were two decks on the ship, but they only had time to explore the lower deck. At the end of their tour, they circled around to the rec room for some rest. The place had a couple of tables and a bar with tanks of multicolored energon sitting behind the bar.

 “You have an amazing ship, guys.” Darren said after taking a minute to process it all.

 “Thank you. But it’s all thanks to the engineers and scientists who sacrificed a lot to build this ship.” Arcee said.

 She remembered the uproar Optimus caused after announcing the ship’s construction. It was a miracle they were able to even build the ship’s frame, and it took nearly all their resources, and then some, to complete the vessel, and a lot of manpower to keep the Cons from torching the ship before it was ready to launch. It was a shame that it wasn’t able to go on its intended maiden voyage.

 “Why is it so big?” I mean, you team isn’t large enough for this huge vessel.” Grindor said.

 “The Ark was meant to be a transport and exploration vessel designed to carry large amounts of cargo and personnel.” Bulkhead explained. “The whole reason it was built was so that it could serve as an exploration vessel meant to travel to other worlds and collect enough resources to help us win the war. But one thing led to another and now it serves as Prime’s personal vessel.”

 “Well, I think it looks magnificent.” Gina smiled. “Hey, Sparkplug, was the Exodus this grand?” When he didn’t answer immediately, she looked over at him. “Sparkplug, did you hear me?”

 “Hmm? Oh, sorry, Gina. My processor was someplace else for a minute.” Sparkplug sighed, setting his weary gaze on the children. “No offense, I’m glad I met you three, but I wish it was under better circumstances than this.”

 “Don’t be like that, Sparkplug, it’s not like you can change what happened.” Thinking back to earlier, Darren sighed. “Besides, it’s our fault the Cons jumped us like that.”

 “Still, I don’t like the idea of putting you three in danger because of us.” Sparkplug went on. He didn’t want to consider what could’ve happened to the kids if the Autobots hadn’t come in time. “All I wanted was for us Minicons to be away from that damn war, but all I’ve managed to accomplish was drag everyone into the middle of it. If anything happened to the others, I’ll never forgive myself.”

 “That’s not your fault either, Sparkplug” Sureshock said, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Whatever the circumstances, we are here now. For the time being, we simply have to make do.”

 “Indeed. Well said, Sureshock.” Optimus walked into the room and looked down at his smaller guests. “We will do our best to find your missing crew and bring them home, Sparkplug. I promise this.”

 Sparkplug smiled. “Thank you, Optimus.”

 Darren checked his phone and grimaced at the time. “Um, Optimus, no bars.”

 Optimus looked at the tiny phone. “A precautionary measure. The Ark blocks all non-Autobot radiowaves.”

 “Well, I need to call my big sister before she calls the National Guard to look for me and Annie.” He told Prime.

 “Same here,” Gina smiled apologetically. “It’s getting late and my mom’s definitely not someone you want gunning for you.”

 “Very well,” Optimus nodded and turned to his Autobots. “Bulkhead, you take the twins home with High Wire and Grindor. Arcee, you’ll escort Gina and Sureshock home.”

 “Got it.” Arcee nodded.

 “Let’s not waste any time then!” Bulkhead grinned.

 “Hold up. Will we get to come back tomorrow?” Annie asked. This was a once in a lifetime chance and she wasn’t going to let this be some one-off thing.

 “Of course you will.” Prime answered. “You are welcome to the Ark so that we may better protect you.”

 “Yes!” Gina cheered.

 “Score!” Annie smiled and high fived Gina.

 Darren shook his head with a smile. “Good grief.”

XXXXXX

 Knockout knew this was going to happen. He knew that Megatron was bound to get involved with all the shady business Starscream was conducting. The fact that Starscream did a bad job of hiding his dealings was proof enough that hanging around the Seeker commander was nothing but bad news and a waste of time. Scalpel made sure to remind him of that fact.

 “I told you ve should’ve sold him out to Megatron! I tell you these things and you never listen!” Scalpel growled in Knockout’s audial. The tiny Decepticon was little more than eight long, spindly legs tipped with razor sharp points connected to a narrow body and an oversized head with large red eyes. He was Knockout’s assistant in medical and scientific affairs, and was his constant companion, which the taller mech loathed.

 “Yes, Scalpel, you’ve told me that numerous times already.” Knockout said through gritted teeth. He really hated having this little bastard hang on his shoulder almost every day. “Ranting about wrong decisions isn’t going to change anything.”

 “And yet you still adhere to that weakling’s command. You are too reckless. I plan on seeing this war to the end and you are not going to ruin it for me!” Scalpel yelled.

 “Would you shut it?” Knockout snapped.

 “Is there something wrong, Knockout?”

 Knockout and Scalpel froze as Megatron walked over to him, looming dangerously over the two smaller mechs. Standing at an imposing thirty-five feet tall, Megatron was the tallest mech on the team at the moment, dwarfed only by Lugnut, who stood at thirty-eight feet. Knockout always felt intimidated standing next to Megatron and today he was really on edge after Starscream got ousted for doing essentially nothing but hoarding energon on this planet.

 “N-No, my lord. Just having a friendly conversation with my partner here,” Knockout said shakily. “Right, Scalpel?”

 “Scalpel wanted to leave Knockout to burn so badly at that moment, but decided to be the better mech and defend his partner’s story. “Yes, ve vere just talking about the amount of energon on this planet. It’s collection of energon is uncanny.”

 “It is, isn’t it?” Megatron looked at the hologram of the planet Terra. “I’m beginning to see why Starscream wanted to hide this planet, it’s certainly interesting. Two species of humans warring for dominance over this world’s future, energon leaking from the seams, and now Minicons. What else does this planet have to offer?”

 “Lord Megatron, I know the chances of us entering open conflict with the humans is impossible, but aren’t you worried about Starscream’s actions exposing us?”

 “Please, Knockout, the humans are of no concern to me. We could easily conquer the planet with just our numbers here and the Nemesis. Should we be forced into open conflict with humanity, we will have no problem bringing them to heel.”

 “I would say otherwise, Megatron.” Nightshade walked onto the bridge, approaching the two mechs in a slow gait. “I’ve been using the ship’s computers to access the human’s satellite network, and I’ve managed to gain some valuable intelligence concerning their military capabilities.”

 “Their military capabilities are hardly unknown, Nightshade. They had no powerful weapons, no fusion cannons, no reliable laser or plasma weaponry, no working electromagnetic cannons…they don’t even have functioning interstellar craft.” Megatron sniffed indignantly. “What harm could they do to us?”

 “Numbers.” Nightshade answered curtly. “They may have no powerful weapons, but if we were to strike from orbit with the Nemesis, we will be forced to be at just the edge of Terra’s atmosphere, putting strain on the fusion generators to negate the gravitational pull and make us vulnerable to their long-range missile systems, primitive as they may be. If we were to strike on the planet’s surface in any major nation, we’d be overwhelmed by a number of military vehicles, namely their tanks, talos and aircraft. Our armor may be able to take hits, but only to a certain extent, and if they’re smart enough to aim at our joints. They have handheld weaponry made to take out tanks and talos that could easily deal damage to us if, again, they aim at our joins. And judging from the latent radiation markers in several corners of the planet Soundwave detected upon arrival, they no doubt have access to some form of nuclear weaponry. They will resort to such weapons if provoked enough, and I don’t want a repeat of Axuria.”

 “Please don’t mention Auxuria.” Knockout groaned.

 “And let’s not forget about these espers populating the world. The majority of them are harmless against us, but there are a number of them sporting abilities capable of damaging us, including a man capable of manipulating magnetism.” She continued. “I’m sure you’ll have fun fighting him.”

 Megatron glared at Nightshade. He valued her battlefield awareness and analytical abilities, though her snark could use a bit of tuning. Still, he took her input to heart. He didn’t get this far by being overconfident against an enemy.

 “Since Starscream saw fit to completely ignore the infiltration protocol, and with the Minicons found on this world, we must play by new rules if we are to win this race to Armageddon.” Megatron said. “We must remain vigilant, operate in the shadows, and annihilate anyone who threatens our operation on this world. This world will be ours, and our conquest of Terra will be built upon Autobot corpses.”

XXXXXX

 It was almost five when Arcee arrived at Gina’s street. Knowing how strange it would be for the girl to arrive at her house in some stranger’s “car”, Arcee stopped at the corner to let Gina and Sureshock off.

 “Thanks for the ride, Arcee.” Gina said as she pulled the transformed Sureshock after her.

 “No problem, I’m happy to help.” Arcee said. “You take good care of her, Sureshock, okay?”

 “I will.” Sureshock promised.

 The street was calm and quiet as the afternoon faded into the evening. Gina led Sureshock to her home, a surprisingly large house that looked different from the other ones. Opening the door, Gina stepped inside and took a deep breath. Despite her lingering excitement at getting to initiate first contact with alien robots, it was good to have some peace and quiet after a long, hectic day in her home.

 “Gina? Is that you?” A woman’s voice called from the kitchen.

 “Yeah, it’s me, mom.”

 From her vantage point by the door, Sureshock was able to get a glimpse of Gina’s mother as she walked out into the living room. Julia Harkins looked vastly different from her daughter-she was a fit young woman with long red hair and hazel brown eyes, along with a visibly toned body that looked a bit too large for her clothes. She wore a short-sleeve shirt, so Sureshock could see the faint pink scars running up the length of Julia’s arms. This woman was probably a fighter, a strong one if those calloused hands were anything to go by. Julia was definitely not someone you wanted to piss off.

 “Gina, what happened to your moped?” Julia asked upon seeing the odd little orange moped sitting on the stoop. “Why is it orange?”

 “Uh, I had it redone and upgrade with some parts from the junkyard.” Gina said, thinking of that excuse on the spot. “Darren and Annie helped me. I was late because the bus was taking too long.”

 Julia was a very perceptive woman, so Gina was very relieved when her mother nodded and smiled. “Well, be sure to call next time when you think you’re going to be late.”

 “Will do, mom. Sorry.” Gina stretched her sore arms and said, “I’m just going to put her-I mean, it, down in the workshop.”

 “Don’t take too long down there. I almost have dinner ready.”

 Gina nodded and escorted Sureshock around the house to the backyard where she pulled open a metal hatch in the ground. Carefully, she climbed down the steep steps and flicked on the lights before placing Sureshock down.

 “Okay, you can transform now.” Gina said after pulling the hatch closed.

 The Minicon switched forms and looked at her surroundings. Gina’s “workshop” was a repurposed bomb shelter than ran under the entire length of the backyard and part of the house. It was given to Gina as a place where she could work on her various projects and inventions after she set her curtains on fire playing around with some powdered hephaestium that burst into flames immediately after being exposed to electricity.

 It was a cozy little place actually; it had a long work table, various tools and machine parts, a shelf with nearly two dozen little robotic animals, a bed, a TV, a mini-fridge where snacks and drinks are kept for late nights in the “office” and a wall full of awards from school and science competitions.

 “So…this is my workshop. My special little place.” Gina said nervously, fiddling with her fingers. “It’s no high-tech super awesome enterprise or anything, but it is my home away from home. What do you think?”

 Sureshock laughed at her nervousness and took Gina’s hand. “I think it’s perfect, Gina. I’m not judgmental about where I’m going to live after spending nearly 4 million years in stasis.” She took another look around to take it all in. “This is just so weird. Waking up on a planet far from home, with most of my friends scattered across the globe. A femme could get a bit lonely under these circumstances.”

 Gina took Sureshock’s other hand and gave her a kind smile. “But you’re not along. You’ve got High Wire and Grindor, Sparkplug, Jolt and Longarm, and now Darren, Annie and me. Not to mention the Autobots. We’ll be right here beside you, okay?”

 “Okay.” Sureshock nodded. “Thank you, Gina.”

 “Anything for a friend.”

 Meanwhile in another neighborhood, Darren and Annie were taken to their house with High Wire and Grindor, courtesy of Bulkhead. The four were completely exhausted and were ready for a good night’s rest.

 “Man, I can’t wait to do some cool stuff with Bulkhead tomorrow. A giant robot with a wrecking ball for a hand. How cool is that?” Annie gushed. Darren rolled his eyes.

 “Yes, Annie, it’s very cool. Just like the last five times you’ve mentioned it.” He sighed.

 “You don’t sound very exalted.” She noted. “We just discovered an alien race together. Made human history in a single day.”

 “Which is all well and good, but right now, I’m tired and hungry.” Darren said. “Almost getting blown to kingdom come can do that to a person.”

 “Right,” Annie drawled. “Because it’s not like you don’t have telekinetic powers or anything-oh wait…”

 “Powers?” High Wire inquired.

 “I’ll explain later.” Darren told him.

 “Man, if siblings argue as much as you two do, then I’m glad to be an only mech.” Grindor remarked.

 “Shut up, Grindor.” The twins said in perfect synch.

 They reached their house in the middle of the street and quickly made their way to the door. But just as they reached the front stoop, the door swung open to reveal their not-so happy older sister.

 “Hey, Debbie.” Darren and Annie said together in unison. Something they only did when trying to look innocent. The scrutinizing gaze of their sister made them go still.

 “You two are late,” Debbie Radcliffe said curtly, arms crossed. “Where have you two been?”

 High Wire and Grindor noted that Debbie was significantly older than Darren and Annie. She was a young woman in her early twenties with similar features to her younger siblings, with the same long black hair and deep green eyes. She wore a white and green nurse’s uniform, showing that she had probably just gotten home from her job at the hospital.

 “Sorry we’re so late, Debbie. The damn bus was giving us a hard time.” Annie chuckled nervously. “You miss one and you might as well walk home. Haha…”

 “We were at the junkyard with Gina and lost track of time.” Darren explained. “We missed a bus and decided to ride home instead.”

 “I see. Just give me a heads up if you’re going to be late again, okay? You know how I worry.” Debbie smiled. That was when she noticed High Wire and Grindor. “What happened to your bike and skateboard? They look different.”

 “Annie trashed them while trying to do some tricks and we spent a good part of the afternoon helping Gina fix us some new rides.” Darren said smoothly. He wasn’t always this flawless when telling a lie, but the subtle ribbing he gave Annie made him a bit more confident. He could already feel her glaring at the side of his head, and it made up for the exhaustion he felt.

 “Fine. Put those in the garage and come inside. I have dinner ready.” Debbie said and went back into the house. “And I’m making you favorite, Annie. Pork chops.”

 “Yay, more meat for the carnivore.” Darren teased. Annie punched him in the shoulder, making Debbie laugh.

 Afterwards, the twins brought High Wire and Grindor to the garage, and placed them against the wall by the work table.

 “We’re going to leave you here until we finish dinner then sneak both of you up to our rooms.” Annie told them. “Will you two be alright down here?”

 “Don’t worry, Annie, we’ll manage” High Wire assured her. “Now, you two run along before your sister starts shouting.”

 “That’s the last thing we need.” Darren huffed as he and Annie walked to the door. “Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll see how violent the women in my family are.”

 “Oh, shut up!” Annie punched his shoulder again.

 “Ow!” Darren rubbed his sore shoulder. “See what I mean?”

 They left the garage, shutting and locking the door behind them. This left High Wire and Grindor alone in the garage, with only the passing of cars outside being heard. After a few minutes of silence, Grindor spoke up.

 “Hey, High Wire?”

 “Yes?”

 “I think I’m going to like it here.”

 “Me too, Grindor. Me too.”

XXXXXX

 The next day, the Autobots picked the children and their new Minicon guardians up from school and took them to the Ark. as soon as they got to the ship; they went their separate ways, integrating themselves with some of the Autobots and Minicons. Gina spent her time with Bumblebee and Sureshock, hanging out in the rec room at one of the tables.

 “So you guys were stationed here for a year?”  Gina asked.

 “Yup,” Bumblebee nodded with a smile. “There was some Decepticon activity in this region of space, which drew us to Terra. We bunkered down when he discovered that the Decepticon infiltration unit was being led by Starscream, one of the higher ups in the Decepticon hierarchy.”

 “Amazing. So I could’ve just walked right past you bots and not even realize it?” Gina ran a hand through her hair. “Jinkies.”

 “I know, it’s crazy when you think about it, but I don’t think we’ve ran into each other before. Trust me, I would remember driving past a girl as smart as you.” He winked at her, earning a giggle from the girl genius.

 Sureshock, who was surfing the web on Gina’s laptop (which could work within the Ark’s electromagnetic shielding thanks to some tiny upgrades from Wheeljack) looked over at Gina. “Gina, these robots these people are digging up from the ground…what are they

 “Those are golems, Sureshock.” Gina answered. “They’re ancient robots used thousands of years ago in an era called the Age of Wonders. It’s when the world was ruled by an empire that used advanced technology, like those golems you see there.”

 “They look like talos.” Bumblebee noted. He heard bits and pieces about golems from Prowl’s info sessions upon arriving to Terra, but they were rater vague since Prowl didn’t consider them anything worth focusing on.

 “Talos were directly inspired by them.” Gina took the laptop from Sureshock and brought up some more pictures of golems that were intact. “No one really knows how the golems work, since we’re talking about a time period where things like AI and robotics weren’t even a concept yet. Scientists theorized that they were fully autonomous, but no one knows how, and no one can explain why or how some golems still work even after being buried for thousands of years.”

 “Wait, they still move on their own?” Bumblebee blinked.

 “It’s what’s so dangerous about them. There’s a 50/50 chance of some archaeological team stumbling upon a tomb guarded by golems and said golems attacking the group. My dad’s an archaeologist and he was attacked by a golem that was shaped like a centaur.”

 “Outstanding…not your father being attacked, I mean, the golems.” Sureshock said quickly. “It seems there’s more to this world than meets the eye.”

 “No kidding.” Bumblebee agreed.

 “And that’s only a small part of what the fabled Age of Wonders has to offer for us. When I get older, I’m going to be an archaeologist and explorer just like my dad and grandpa and learn everything there is about the Arian Empire. That would be the experience of a lifetime.” Gina smiled and wrapped her arms around her knees in childish glee. “Aside from meeting you guys, of course.”

 “You know, you don’t have to wait, Gina.” Bumblebee smiled. “With our ground bridge, you could go anywhere in the world.”

 “And I would like to join you, if you will accept me, Gina.” Sureshock said passionately. “I’ve spent far too long in that escape pod and I would like to see everything this world has to offer.”

 “Then we’ll see the sights of Terra and uncover its secrets!” Gina smiled, placing a hand on Sureshock’s shoulder and Bumblebee’s large hand. “All three of us!”

 Elsewhere, in the rocky mountains of Coronado, Bulkhead sat on top of a steep, rocky hill in vehicle mode, with Annie and Grindor in the front seats. Truthfully, he was supposed to be on recon, but Annie somehow managed to convince him to “take a break” and do some extreme off-roading. It was a bad idea, obviously, but she had given him that pleading, wide-eyed stare that looked rather similar to a puppy’s and…he couldn’t help it!

 “This is crazy, Annie.” Bulkhead said. “I’m supposed to be protecting you.”

 “Bulkhead, relax, we’re sitting in 10 tons of alien muscled steel. We’re protected.” Annie said smoothly, ignoring Grindor’s increasingly panicked whines. “Now punch it!”

 Bulkhead sighed, but started his engine anyway and drove forward, tipping over the edge and sliding down the uneven slope. He tried not to go too fast, as his large green jeep mode violently rocked and jumped with the grace of a half dead rhino from the rocks under his wheels. Annie was hollering and cheering like she was at a rock concert, while Grindor had his eyes shut and was praying to whatever god he could think of.

 Fortunately for him, it was over soon as they reached the bottom and stopped on flat, solid land. Grindor pushed his way out and fell to the ground, happy it was over. Annie was still laughing from the thrill it gave her and patted Bulkhead’s steering wheel as thanks.

 “That was awesome! Let’s go again!” She grinned.

 “Noooo!” Grindor groaned from his place on the dusty ground.

 “Sorry, Annie, but we need to head back to the Ark. I’m later enough as it is.” Bulkhead said. Annie groaned in disappointment, but Grindor was elated.

 “Yesssss!” He shouted.

 “Well…can’t we at least see what kind of explody things Wheeljack has?” Annie asked, hopefully.

 “…Don’t tell your brother.”

 “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

 Back at the Ark, Darren was demonstrating his powers to Arcee and High Wire in the ship’s storage room. They had never seen an esper up close before, given that Prowl made sure none of the Autobots encountered an amalgam that could possibly expose them, so seeing his powers up close was a welcome experience. Watching Darren lift small crates with only his mind amazed High Wire, who had never seen something like this before.

 “I have never seen anything like this in my years of living on Epistemus.” High Wire said. “And I doubt that most other races in the galaxy are as diverse in powers as you humans.”

 “Glad you enjoyed the show.” Darren said. He tried to carefully set the crate down on the floor, but a lapse in concentration nearly tipped it over. “Just don’t expect a second performance.”

 “And there are more people like you all over the world?” High Wire asked.

 “Yeah, espers number in the millions now, with thousands being located right here in Osea. Most of us look no different from humans, but we all have some power or mutation that sets us apart from regular humans. I’m a telekinetic, I can basically move things with my mind.” Darren said, further impressing High Wire.

 “I heard that there were espers in Emmeria who were being captured and sent to labs for study. There were also reports of people calling the police on them and basically selling them out. Neighbors, friends, even family…” Arcee frowned and shook her head at the brutality of it all. “I can see how espers like him can have hard lives.”

 “Not all espers are demonized. In Sunehra, espers are venerated, and Britannia is working on enforcing laws that protect esper rights. But generally, the feeling among the public is that espers are too dangerous to roam freely and should be locked up, or they’re freaks of nature that should be killed on sight.” Darren explained. “I’m one of the lucky ones. I can hide my powers, but other espers can’t control their abilities, or they have some physical mutation like wings or horns that are hard to hide. There’s even some man whose body is just a flaming skeleton. Its stuff like that, that makes most people see us as freaks or uncontrollable monsters.

 “Does anyone aside from Annie and Gina know about you?” Arcee asked.

 “Only Debbie. I made it a golden rule to never use my powers in public. I couldn’t risk ruining my sisters’ lives with the social stigma of being related to an espers or being targeted by those Friends of Humanity hicks.” He said.

 It was an easy thing to do, hiding his powers. He had them all his life, born with them in fact. Debbie told him that as a child, he healed incredibly fast and was stronger and healthier than most kids his age. People usually became espers around puberty, but he was a rarity, having been born an espers from the start. Annie might disagree with his beliefs, but he wasn’t going to put himself or his sisters at risk just to flip a bully giving him a hard time. Being ousted as an esper was tantamount to an execution order, and if those government lapdogs didn’t get him, then anti-esper groups like Friends of Humanity would make their lives hell. Heaven forbid if anyone found out he was a variant on top of that.

 “That’s…terrible,” High Wire said, his round eyes narrowing into slits at his displeasure. “To think that some humans are so quick to hurt amalgams for something that’s basically out of their control.”

 “They do it out of fear. No matter what planet you go to, the formula is always the same.” Arcee remarked. “If you give people power, too much power, it makes some people afraid. And fear makes people do stupid things. Terrible things.”

 She thought back to Cybertron’s pre-war era. Subjugation and discrimination ran rampant throughout cybertronian society, full of corruption and abuse which directly led to the Decepticon Uprising.

 “If it’s any consolation, Darren, I think your powers are something amazing. Something to be proud of.” High Wire patted Darren on the back. “They are a part of you, and you should honor that. Not many people are gifted as you.”

 “Gifted?” Darren snorted. “Arcee, I’m a part of a race of superhumans being persecuted around the world. I’m of the same race as the terrorist group preaching esper dominance through violence and bloodshed. There hasn’t been a day where I’m worried about my secret getting out and my family’s life being ruined. If these powers have done anything, it’s paint a target on my back.”

 Darren looked at his hands. He could kill with these hands. Or save lives. Yeah, he was lucky, for there were espers with far more dangerous powers that were as much as a danger to themselves as they were to other people. Espers who couldn’t control their abilities and were walking time bombs. But even still, it would be nice to not to have to look over your shoulder every day or worry for your life. It would be nice to be normal for a change.

XXXXXX

 Optimus and Sparkplug stood in the doorway watching the rest of the team joke and laugh with their new friends. Just a few days had passed, and it felt like the Autobots (most of them) were getting used to the presence of humans and Minicons on the ship. Sparkplug smiled as he saw Annie and Darren cheering Bulkhead on in a drinking contest against Ironhide.

 “It’s good to see the children fitting in.” Sparkplug said, crossing his arms. “They look so happy.”

 “They are. By rights, we should’ve even be interacting with the natives, but it can’t be helped. I can only hope that Megatron doesn’t attempt to enact some form of revenge on them for stealing the Minicons.” Optimus said. “But they do break the monotony of the constant fighting. I’ve never seen Bulkhead and Arcee look so happy before on a mission.”

 “Don’t tell Prowl that. I imagine he’s just barely keeping himself from flipping a table at showing the kids your ship.”

 “Prowl is a dedicate soldier, but he’s…stiff. He adheres too strictly to protocol, and sometimes it keeps him from being flexible enough to deal with drastic changes on missions, namely this. He get’s bent out of shape when others don’t follow proper procedures, including me.” Optimus shrugged.

 “Well, he better get used to it, because those children are here to stay.” Sparkplug sighed. “Prime, I hope they don’t get dragged too deep into this war. It’s bad enough the Minicons were thorn into this god forsaken conflict, I won’t stand them being put in the limelight as well.”

 “Wasn’t the whole reason you left was to preserve Minicon culture and society?” Optimus asked. “You were quite adamant about retaining your people’s independence. I assume Goldfire was a product of that steadfast position.”

 Sparkplug bristled. “Goldfire was a precaution in case you-“

 “Optimus, Sparkplug,” Longarm ran up to them. “Ratchet wants to see you two. He says it’s really important.”

 Sparkplug gave Optimus a look before following Longarm down the hall with Optimus in tow. Longarm led them to the computer hub where Teletran-1 resided. Ratchet was already at the main terminal studying a stream of data running across the screen. He motioned Optimus to his side as the pair entered the room.

 “What’s the problem Ratchet?” Optimus inquired.

 “Teletran just received another distress signal. One that’s nearly identical to the signal sent out by the first one the children found.” Ratchet explained. “Along with an encoded message.”

Ratchet pointed to the cybertronian script on the screen. Sparkplug had Optimus lift him up onto the console and took a look at the message. It didn’t take him long to realize that it was from another escape pod somewhere in the country and nodded.

 “I think I have an idea on who sent it. This came from another escape pod, so there must be more than one Minicons involved, possibly the other half of the skeleton crew I was with.” He said. “Optimus, we need to move out now before the Cons get to them first.”

 “Already on it, Sparkplug.” Optimus said. “Ratchet, call Ironhide, Prowl and Bumblebee to the shuttle bay. We have Minicons to rescue.”

XXXXXX

 Liftor was a nervous wreck. The orange and blue Minicon was hiding inside a tiny tunnel near his escape pod, which acted as a safe haven for him and his partner Rollbar after they awakened. They spent the better part of the hour trying to gather their bearings, figure out what time period it was and how long they were in stasis. Before they could get to the important questions about their situation, the pod’s early warning systems alerted them to the presence of multiple Decepticon signals nearby. That was only the start of their troubles.

 ‘I went on the Exodus to get away from the Decepticons and yet here I am with them standing right over us!’ Liftor thought wearily.

The escape pod was completely hidden inside a little cave under the surface of a stalagmite behind a large energon crystal. It was one of many that filled the mine full of raw energon crystals. From his position near the tunnel he dug out to reach the surface, he could see, maybe four Cons minding the crystals with a mechanized driller machine. Two smaller mechs, a blue one with large claw arms called Rumble, and a red one with normal proportions named Frenzy, were transporting carts of energon into a ground bridge. Liftor’s already fading hopes for rescue were dashed completely as he recognized these Cons as some of the higher bots on his “get the hell away at first glance” list he compiled once: Soundwave, Starscream, Knockout, and the aforementioned twins.

 “How long is this going to take, Knockout?” Starscream growled. He shot the medic a glare as he paced irritably. “I thought you said there was a panel in this cave!”

 “It should be, this was the place the signal came from.” Knockout frowned at his scanner. “By rights, we should’ve have detected anything with all this energon around here.”

 “I don’t care; just find the damn panel already!” Starscream said. He was eager to get the Minicon first before Megatron had the chance to snatch it away from him like the uncouth savage he was.

 “Starscream, may I remind you that I am in command here, not you.” Soundwave said. Starscream threw him a scathing look.

 “I am well aware of that, Soundwave. Thank you for reminding me.” He hissed.

 “And I will keep reminding you until you finally understand.” Soundwave replied. “Perhaps this search will be more productive if you actually aided Knockout in the search.”

 “Hot burn from the boss!” Rumble chuckled.

 “Man, as if Starscream couldn’t fall any farther!” Frenzy cackled.

 “Shut up you plebians!”

 Liftor watched the Decepticons quarrel among themselves and crawled back through the tunnel to his pod. Once inside, he saw Rollbar sitting at the computer reading the diagnostic data as if nothing was wrong.

 “We’re in trouble.” He said.

 “I know.” Rollbar acknowledged.

 “No, you don’t understand.” Liftor grabbed him by the shoulders to face him. “We are in _trouble._ I just saw a team of Cons led by Soundwave and Starscream. It’s only a matter of time before they find us, snatch us up, and possibly torture us for the location of the others. I won’t last a day in a prison cell, Rollbar! They’ll crack me in half, and then-“

 “Liftor!” Rollbar slapped him across the face. “Calm yourself! They haven’t found us yet and I intend to keep it that way.”

 “How?”

 “By staying put.”

 Liftor’s hope died again. “W-what? But-“

 “We can’t leave or Soundwave will find us. I heard he has the acute senses of a pneuma-lion and he’ll hear us the minute we try to make for the cave entrance.” Rollbar said.

 “We can’t just stay here, either. With this much energon, the Cons are going to be here a long time.” Liftor said, starting to get frustrated.

 “I’ve sent out a distress signal to any Autobot units on this planet. I’m not sure if it went through, or if there are any Autobots within range, but we’re out of options.” Rollbar sighed. “Either that or the Cons really do get bored and leave us alone.”

 Sadly, neither option seemed very likely at the moment.

XXXXXX

 Optimus led his strike team through the tunnel of the cave they traced the signal to. With Bumblebee, Ironhide and Prowl backing him, Optimus quickly led them into the energon mine. Bumblebee gave a low whistle as he gazed up at the large energon crystals sprouting from the ground.

 “Wow,” He breathed. “This is the most energon I’ve seen in one place since coming to this planet.”

 “Take it all in, Bee, cause we ain’t gonna see this much energon in a long time.” Ironhide grunted.

 “Cut the chatter and focus, people. We’re approaching the target.” Prowl said.

 Optimus snuck into the cave and quickly hid behind a boulder, with the other Autobots hiding behind their own cover. Optimus’s eyes narrowed as he saw Starscream and Soundwave overseeing the operation. Frenzy and Rumble were controlling the drillers to dig up more energon, while Knockout was presumably still searching for the Minicon’s escape pod.

 “Think we can take ‘em all?” Ironhide asked.

 “We came here for the Minicons, Ironhide. Fighting with all this raw energon around us is dangerous.” Optimus turned to Sparkplug. “Do you have a fix on their location, Sparkplug?”

 Sparkplug nodded. “Yeah, I can sense their signals, but…there’s too much interference from all of the energon to directly pinpoint their location.”

 “We won’t be able to get in close without being spotted.” Ironhide said.

 “In that case, a distraction is in order.” Bumblebee said. He took out his blaster and increased the power output before aiming it at Soundwave.

 “Bee, hold up!” Prowl whispered, but the scout had already pulled the trigger.

 The Autobots watched the laser bolt fly through the air towards the back of Soundwave’s head. Just when it seemed that it would hit Soundwave and deal a potentially lethal blow, the spymaster side-stepped it at the last second. It shot over his shoulder and hit an energon crystal, causing a reaction that created a very noticeable explosion. The other Cons were caught off guard, though Soundwave calmly addressed their uninvited “guests”.

 “Autobots sighted. Initiate counterattack.” Soundwave commanded. Then he fired three rockets from the launcher on his shoulder.

 “Autobots, scatter!” Optimus called out. The team split up just as the rockets hit their hiding spots, blowing the rocks apart and signaling the start of the battle. Soon the cave erupted into a shoot out between the Bots and Cons, taking care not to hit the energon.

 Liftor and Rollbar head the commotion and went to investigate. Peeking out of their tunnel, they were pleasantly surprised and elated to see Optimus Prime himself leading a team of Autobots fighting the Cons.

 “We’re saved! We can finally leave!” Liftor cheered, but then realized something. “Wait, how are we going to reach them? We’ll get blown apart out there.”

 Roll bar racked his processor for a plan that could get them across to their saviors in one piece. He looked at Optimus and saw a little yellow figure standing near his leg. “I got it! Liftor, remember the private comm-channel Sparkplug had us make for the Minicons?”

 “Of course I remem-oh.” Liftor frowned. “Will that work? Our tech is really old now and it took a lot just to get the computer running.”

 “It’s worth a try.”

 Sparkplug was hiding behind a large boulder, ducking as plasma blasts hit the ground around him. Then he got a ping on his private comm-channel. It was a Minicon-only frequency developd by the same tech heads who designed the Exodus’ computer and navigation systems. He quickly switched it on and got a quick reply back.

 _“Hello? Sparkplug, is that you?”_ The voice on the other end was his friend, Liftor. “ _Sparkplug? Please tell me this thing is working.”_

“Liftor?” Sparkplug voiced his disbelief.

 “ _Oh thank Primus. I thought we wouldn’t be able to get any reception down here.”_

 _“_ I can barely hear you as it is. Where are you?”

_“Not too far from your position, near the group of pointed rocks to your east. Can you or the Autobots get to us?”_

_“_ I’ll see what I can do, just hang on.” Sparkplug looked up at Optimus, who caught the tail end of their conversation. “I’ve found them, Prime, but they need help.”

“I understand. Bumblebee, take Sparkplug to those Minicons.”

 Bumblebee nodded and picked up Sparkplug, ducking behind crystals and rocks while shooting at Rumble and Frenzy to keep them off his tail. He made it to the hole over the pod and dropped Sparkplug off, where he ran into the tunnel to meet with Liftor and Rollbar.

 “It’s so good to see you guys are okay!” Sparkplug smiled.

 “Same here. We were worried this was the end of the line for us.” Rollbar said. Liftor looked up at Bumblebee, then at Optimus.

 “Sparkplug, what is Optimus Prime doing here? In fact, what the hell are the Autobots and Decepticons doing on this planet in the first place? How did they find us?” Liftor thought for a moment. “As a matter of fact, where is here, anyway?”

 “Let’s save the questions for a less hazardous place, yeah?” Bumblebee peeked over a boulder and fired one of his stingers. A bolt caught Starscream in the shoulder and sent the Seeker spinning on his heels from the force of the attack. He was firing his cannons when that happened, and his diverted attack hit an energon crystal on the upper level of the cave, causing a chain reaction that blew up a ring of energon above them.

 “Watch where you’re shooting you damn fool!”  Knockout growled, covering his head to keep the falling crystals from hitting his polished head crest. “Do you want to blow us all to hell?”

 Bumblebee made sure the three Minicons made it to Prime’s side and was about to run over to help Ironhide and Prowl with the Cons when he noticed something glowing in the ground not too far from him. The strange object was blue and green in color and was shaped like a hexagon, with a cybertronian symbol on the front-the symbol of the Minicon faction. Sparkplug immediately recognized it as a stasis panel from the Exodus.

 “Guys, I have a visual on a stasis panel.” Bumblebee reported.

 “Go get it, Bee! Hurry before the Cons see it!” Sparkplug urged him.

 Bumblebee ran forward and transformed mid-sprint to drive across the battlefield at full speed. He swerved wildly to avoid energon and oncoming laser blasts as he reached the drillers and changed form, leaping for the panel-only to get kicked in the face and smash into a crystal head first. The scout shook his head clear of the ringing from the blow and looked up to see Soundwave approaching him. The spymaster stood in his way, his red visor and silver mouth plate giving no indication to what he was thinking or feeling. Bumblebee jumped to his feet and ran at Soundwave, thinking that moving fast would give him an advantage against the mech.

 He had no idea how wrong he was.

 Deploying his wrist blades, Bumblebee came at Soundwave with a series of slashes and stabs. All of which didn’t even reach Soundwave as he easily dodged the high-frequency vibrating blades, letting them swing past his face close enough to make the air around his head hum. Soundwave wasn’t concerned about fighting this scout, as he had taken on worse opponents as a gladiator in Kaon’s arenas. But time was of the essence and he had a mission to complete.

 Bumblebee was caught off guard by Soundwave’s sudden advance on him. The spymaster began wailing on the yellow scout with hard blows to the face and chest that Bumblebee had troubling countering. They came at him with such speed and precision that he was quickly put on the defensive to avoid being beaten into submission. He deployed his stingers and fired them at Soundwave, but they were also dodged, despite the small distance between them. Soundwave threw a kick at his head, but he ducked under the leg. But the kick was only a feint for the punch to his nose that knocked him to his back.

 Bumblebee hit the ground and rolled onto his front, spitting out energon and wiping his lip. “That guy can throw a punch.” He quipped. He looked up and saw Soundwave pulling the panel from the wall and summon a ground bridge. “No you don’t, Soundwave!”

 He charged at Soundwave, who turned his head to glance back at him. Raising his right hand, Soundwave’s arm retracted and shifted to form a small microwave dish in place of his hand. When Bumblebee lunged at him, Soundwave fired an intense sonic wave at Bumblebee that caught him in the chest with enough force to dent his chest plate and blew him back nearly two feet. He smashed through multiple energon crystals before hitting the ground at Ironhide’s feet.

 “Bee!” Ironhide helped the scout up. “Bee, you alright?”

 “Oh,” Bumblebee groaned. His sensors were fizzy and his chest hurt, but he was still somewhat conscious. “D-did anyone catch the number of that truck?”

 “Prime, Bee’s out of it!” Ironhide yelled.

 Optimus ducked under a swipe from Starscream’s blades and punched him in the chest to knock him back. “We have what we came for. Autobots, fall back!”

 “But the Minicon, Prime!” Prowl protested. “We can’t let the Decepticons leave with it!”

 “We can’t do anything about that now. Bumblebee’s down and we can’t risk further casualties with all this energon around us.” Optimus said. “Ironhide, help him to the tunnel!”

 Ironhide nodded and picked the scout up, letting the Minicons ride on his shoulder before running back to the cave entrance. Soundwave saw the Autobots regrouping and messaged his team.

 “Our objective is complete. Now we must return to the Nemesis.” He said. Starscream glared at him.

 “Retreat? And leave all this energon here for the taking?” Starscream growled. “The Autobots will take it!”

 “Then you must make sure that doesn’t happen.”

 “How?”

 Even a drone would be hard pressed to ignore the annoyance in Soundwave’s tone. “Blow the mine.”

 Optimus knelt down over Bumblebee, who was recovering slowly, but was still in pain. “Can you transform?”

 “I think so,” Bumblebee grunted. “Don’t expect any grade-A driving though.”

 “I’m calling for a bridge.” Prowl said, calling Teletran-1 for an immediate evac at their location. Looking back at the Cons by pure chance, he saw Starscream hefting something in his hand-a concussion bomb!” “Damn!”

 “I’d love to stay and chat, Autobots, but I’ve got more important things to do. Sayonara!” Starscream chucked the bomb into a cluster of energon crystals and ran into the ground bridge, which closed behind him.

 Optimus picked up the Minicons and transformed with the other three Autobots following behind him. The bomb detonated and the explosion caused the rest of the crystals in the cave to go up in flames, engulfing the cavern in a fiery display of blue flames that rushed into the tunnel and trailed after the Autobots.

 “Teletran, send a ground bridge at our previous coordinates! NOW!” Optimus commanded.

 It was fortunate for them that Teletran-1 was quick on the draw, summoning a ground bridge right in front of them. They drove into the portal at full speed and didn’t stop until they were back in the Ark, with the intense flames spurting from the closing portal. Ratchet blinked as he saw the state they were in, smoke rising off their tired forms and armor slightly burnt.

 “You four must’ve had some fun.” He remarked. Even Optimus had to glare at him for that.

XXXXXX

 Bumblebee sat on the medical berth in the med bay with an unhappy look on his face. He just spent half an hour in the CR chamber recovering from the internal damages Soundwave dealt him with that sonic wave and Ratchet was doing some minor checkups to see if there was anything else wrong with him. The mission itself was technically a success-they saved Rollbar and Liftor, but they had also lost a third Minicon, one that was still in its stasis panel. A panel they didn’t even know was there until it activated at that moment. And because he screwed up, the panel was in Megatron’s hands. Optimus and Ironhide didn’t scold him too much on his rash actions, knowing that he was well aware of the minor mistakes he made in challenging Soundwave alone, but Prowl wasn’t so merciful.

 “What was that?” Prowl asked, his voice tight with agitation. “No, really, what was that? Because I don’t know what that was out there.”

 “Well, there was a lot of shooting and explosions, so…” Bumblebee trailed off at the intensity of Prowl’s glare. He was really ticked off today.

 “You had one job to do, and that was retrieve the panel. Not engage Soundwave.”

 “He was standing in my way. There was no way I could get around him without fighting him.” He said. “I thought I could at least stun him long enough to make a break for it.”

 “Well you thought wrong.”

 “How was I supposed to know Soundwave was off-limits? I didn’t wake up this morning thinking that Soundwave, a mech who has the personality of a brain dead turbofox, was a martial arts master equal to Nightshade?” Bumblebee replied, not losing his patience. He didn’t need Prowl grilling him or his attitude right now. “Get off my back!”

 “No, I won’t get off your back! We lost a Minicon today, Bumblebee, and now Megatron has gained an advantage over us!”

 “Prowl, leave Bumblebee alone. He did his best.” Longarm said firmly. “And I appreciate it if you didn’t refer to us as if we’re weapons of mass destruction.”

 “As long as the Decepticons use you Minicons as tools of destruction, you might as well be deemed as such.” Prowl replied. Before Longarm to say something nasty to Prowl, Optimus stepped in.

 “Enough.” The tone in his voice quieted everyone down. “Prowl, go take five. We’ll talk later.”

 “But Prime-“ Prowl shut his mouth when Optimus gave him a rare glare.

 “That wasn’t a request.” Prime said. Prowl stiffened up and nodded, walking past Optimus at a brisk pace and out the door without looking back.

 “Finally, some peace and quiet.” Longarm grumbled.

 “Optimus, I am so sorry.” Bumblebee apologized, looking defeated now that the wind was taken from his sails. “I tried, really, but Soundwave…”

 “There’s no need to apologize, Bumblebee. We know you tried.” Optimus assured him. At his feet, Sparkplug nodded.

 “No one blames you for losing the panel. I’ve already made my peace with the possibility that I won’t be able to…save everyone.” Sparkplug said. It was a grim thought, but he had to realistic. Not all battles were won in war.

 “But I would appreciate it if you refrained from taking such risks in the future.” Optimus said to the scout. “There’s a thin line between being a hero…and being a memory.”

 Bumblebee smiled. “Understood, sir.”

 Optimus told him to get some rest and walked outside with Sparkplug. The Minicon kept pace with Prime, and after a few minutes, he decided to address the elephant in the room.

 “So…what do we do, Prime?” Sparkplug asked. “Megatron already has the first panel…and a potential hostage.”

 “Megatron will never ransom the Minicon. He’s simply gained a lead in a demented arms race over your kind. He won’t stop until he’s turned you Minicons into the weapons he sees you as.” Optimus stopped and looked down at Sparkplug. “But we won’t stop doing what we’ve always done…saving those that can be saved. Nothing more, nothing less.”

 Sparkplug said nothing, but he nodded a silent thanks to Optimus. As grateful as he was for Prime’s help, he couldn’t help but worry for the poor soul in that panel. He prayed threat the Minicon could remain strong until they were rescued some day.

XXXXXX

 Megatron and Nightshade stood on the bridge of the Nemesis, watching Soundwave enter with Starscream and Knockout behind him. Laserbeak, a red and black Decepticon with a bird-like robot mode, flew in and landed on Nightshade’s shoulder. Soundwave approached Megatron and presented the panel.

 “Mission accomplished, Megatron.” He announced. Megatron smirked and took the tiny panel from him.

 “Excellent work, Soundwave. It’s good to know that not everyone on this ship is a waste of space.” Megatron remarked coldly.

 Starscream and Knockout both bristled at the insult that was clearly aimed at them. Starscream nearly threw one of his own Megatron’s way, but a warning look from Nightshade made him back down.

 “While it is paramount that we acquire as many Minicons as possible to further our campaign on this planet, it is very fortunate that you managed to recover this one.”

 “Oh?” Knockout leaned forward in interest. “How so?”

 “Did you really think the Exodus crashing here was an accident? Almost a third of its crew are Decepticons, hidden amongst them to sabotage the ship for us to find and plunder. And it’s all thanks to my little friend here.”

 Megatron applied some pressure to the panel and allowed it to scan his biosignature. It glowed and then dissolved in his hand into tiny multicolored particles that reconfigured into a humanoid shape. Once its form solidified, the Minicon stood in  Megatron’s palm. He was a deep gray with blue on his arms and legs, and had a yellow visor with a gray mouth plate. He looked around at the other Decepticons before settling his gaze on Megatron’s devilish visage.

 “Welcome to the land of the living, Leader-1.” Megatron greeted his new partner.

 Leader-1, chief among the Decepticon aligned Minicons (known as Mini-Cons) bowed his head in respect to his master. “I live to serve you, lord Megatron.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to learn more about this series, please check out the website I made for this series. It has extra features, character bios and more! The web address is in my profile.


	4. Battle Lines

Chapter 3-Battle Lines

 The Osean army base sat in the middle of the arid, rocky landscape in the southernmost state of Zona Arida. The state was not a place for the weary, much less a whole base of soldiers who were going to spend most of the day doing heavy labor or training. Temperatures were known to reach above a hundred at midday, and could drop to near freezing temperatures at night. And that wasn’t counting the hazardous little critters that could ruin your whole tour with just one sting or bite. You weren’t getting a break in Zona Arida, but as the soldiers would always say “at least it isn’t Mexica”.

 But this wasn’t just some leisurely stroll for new recruits-there were reports of Karaba activity in the area, most likely some minor business going on between Mexica and Osea. But any Karaba sighting was treated seriously by the top army brass, enough to warrant military interference. Thus, the construction of a regional base and regular patrols around the area was authorized until Karaba’s presence was confirmed.

 Standing guard at the base’s entrance were three talos. They were the M6 Bushnell, units that composed Osea’s mobile armor division. The Bushnell were 13 foot tall mecha built to the usual configuration most talos sported. They had dark blue, almost black composite armor with long heads and a yellow visor over a single optical camera. Together with the M4 Murphy units, they formed the bulk of Osea’s MA forces, though less advanced and were less able to combat espers efficiently than the ERD’s new Paladin mecha.

 The cockpit was located in the torso and was just large enough to accommodate an adult human, though it wasn’t small enough to be cramped or uncomfortable. In front of the pilot seat were three directional monitors that showed video images directly from the camera’s viewpoint in the head. Two joysticks controlled the talos’s arms, and finger rests manipulated the fingers. Two foot pedals controlled the talos’s movements, right for throttle and left for reverse/brake.

 The Bushnell units were large and bulky and were definitely not very fast compared to some other models used in other countries, though they were powerful combat weapons. Despite their combat abilities, the weather conditions of Zona Arida made them into walking death traps if the pilots weren’t careful. Aside from the usual problems of the engine overheating, the cockpits were built with air conditioning, so heat strokes were a very real threat when operating in the desert. It was just one of the many things talos pilots had to worry about along with mechanical malfunctions or getting ambushed and torn apart by esper terrorists.

 “Hey.” Said the pilot of Bushnell unit-003.

 “Yeah?” Unit-002 replied.

 “Why are we here?”

 “What?”

 “Why are we here?” 003 asked. 002 took a moment to answer.

 “I don’t know man. That’s like asking why we’re born, or if there’s a purpose in life. I sometimes ask myself that when I’m along and it keeps me up at night, you know? Is God just playing with us? Is the meaning of our lives just some cosmic game? I want to know the answers, but I also hope that I never find it either.”

 Unit-003 stared at him through his mecha’s camera lens. “No, I meant why are we here, sweltering inside non-ventilated talos in the middle of the freaking desert?”

 “Oh,” Pilot-002 coughed. “Um, yeah, I have no idea.”

 “What was all that stuff about god?”

 “Nothing.”

 “…You wanna talk about it?”

 “Nope!”

 ‘Idiots.” Pilot-001 thought. These were the people he was stuck working with. Gaia, sentry duty was a boring job.

 Then he noticed something strange; a small black shape hovering in the air in the distance. He enhanced his unit’s camera vision and saw that it was a black helicopter approaching the base-an MH53-Blackhawk.

 “Huh, I didn’t get word of that coming here.” The pilot muttered. His team was usually the first to know if the base was having visitors, and this little surprise made him a little uneasy. He also saw two other choppers fly out of the base to escort the Blackhawk in, signaling that Watch Command was probably just as nervous about this unannounced encounter as he was.

 The sight of the Blackhawk wasn’t the only thing that had everyone on edge, despite its commonality among the military along with the Apache; it was that this chopper was sporting a model number of a chopper that was shot down almost a year ago. Even more suspicious was that it wasn’t hailing any of their calls, only getting static in response.

 Soldiers in humvees gathered at the landing area, weapons drawn and raised as the Blackhawk descended. Once it had fully landed on the ground, the CO spoke over the intercom.

 “Attention crew of the MH-53 shut off your engines and stand clear of the aircraft. Failure to comply will be met with deadly force.” He announced. The soldiers took aim to emphasize this, but there was no response or movement from the pilot. “This is your last warning. Stand clear of the vehicle with your hands raised or we’ll open fire.”

 More silence followed, and the soldiers became uneasy as the tension rose, with many expecting this to be a feint and for the helicopter to have been rigged with explosives. Some even thought it was hiding a bunch of Karaba agents waiting to hop out and waste them. But something completely unexpected happened-the pilot vanished! Like a bad television image. At the same time, an invisible pulse reverberated throughout the base, causing all electronics within its radius to go haywire and short circuit.

 The Blackhawk’s rotors stopped in place and folded back-something anyone with avionics on their resume would know wasn’t possible for this kind of chopper. Then it began to…change. It was reconfiguring, shifting, metamorphosing even as the soldiers stared in its direction. The robot that was once a military helicopter had feet, arms and a head.

 It also had a name-Blackout. But the soldiers did not see or sense that, and the Decepticon made no effort to identify himself. Almost as once, everyone opened fire on the metal giant, but their bullets had no effect on his body. Blackout looked around at the brace, but stupid, humans that attacked him and slammed his fist into the ground.

 There was a mighty thunderclap, a huge spherical sonic shockwave that blasted everyone off their feet. Soldiers were sent flying, electronics went even more haywire, military vehicles were tossed around like toys and torn apart. Then the slaughter began.

XXXXXX

 Things had finally calmed down enough at the Ark to allow the Autobots to focus on properly settling down in their new home. Some of the Autobots used this break in the fighting to better help the kids and Minicons acclimate to their new accommodations. Despite this, everyone was still on high alert in case another Minicon panel activated, which was evidenced by the horrible events surrounding the second panel’s activation and subsequent retrieval by a Decepticon.

 Optimus and Prowl stood in the Ark’s computer hub watching a television broadcast on Teletran-1. It was a breaking news story about a military base in Zona Arida that was practically wiped off the map, with no survivors documented.

 “This was a bold move on the Cons’ part.” Prowl said. He didn’t seem particularly bothered by the Cons’ attack, since he’s seen them do far worse than a small-scale massacre. He was more bothered by the implications it hinted at. “It was very risky to send just one Con to attack a military base in broad daylight.”

 “Megatron would spare no expense at obtaining the Minicons, but stealth was paramount. Blackout has experience in infiltrating enemy lines and attacking them from the inside.” Optimus sighed and shook his head. “The panel was buried under the base, and the soldiers were just in his way.”

 It was just bad luck that the panel was smack dab in the heart of the base, hidden underground and undiscovered. The Decepticons had no qualms about erasing military installations to cover their tracks via infiltration or good old shock and awe techniques. Now they had another Minicon in their clutches and left a trail of corpses in their wake.

 ‘What a way to start off an arms race.’ Prowl thought wryly. Turning to Optimus, he asked, “Do you think they’ll do it again?”

 “Not if they can help it. Megatron only did this to maintain his lead over us, but he’ll try to avoid open confrontation with the natives as per his infiltration protocol as long as possible. At least until he gets into the later phases.”

 Their conversation was interrupted by a loud boom from the hallway and Optimus and Prowl ran outside to see smoke coming from one of the rooms near the crew quarters.

 “For Primus’ sake, what did Wheeljack blow up now?” Prowl grumbled.

 To his surprise, it wasn’t Wheeljack who caused the explosion, but their three human companions, who stumbled out of the room covered in soot and coughing. The Street Action Team followed them out, looking no worse for wear, though they were a little dirty.

 “Sorry, totally our fault.” Daren coughed. “We’re okay.”

 “Speak for yourself, Mr. No Hands. My ears are still ringing.” Annie complained, rubbing her ears.

 “Relax, Annie, it wasn’t that bad.” Gina chided, cleaning her blackened glasses.

 “Would someone please explain what’s going on here?” Prowl asked impatiently.

 “We were trying to use some hephaestium to help power the Minicons’ computer terminal, but Gina used too much and it ignited.” High Wire said.

 “Not to worry though, no one’s hurt.” Grindor chimed in.

 “Except for my pride.” Gina grumbled.

 “Still pretty cool to see though.” Grindor added. Sureshock crossed her arms.

 “Don’t you mean hot?”

 Grindor gave a loud laugh and slapped her hard on the shoulder. “Haha! That’s a good one, Sureshock! Hot! Ha! You’re crazy girl,” He chuckled. “You’re crazy.”

 “And who gave you permission to use this room?” Prowl inquired further.

 “We did,” Jazz walked up to them with Sparkplug in tow. “Since the kids and Minicons are gonna be hanging out with us, I figured they’d need a place to stay. Don’t worry, I got permission from boss bot to grant them access.”

 Prowl gave Optimus a look, and Prime returned his firm gaze. “They do need a secure place to stay and work until we can find proper accommodations, Prowl. And the Ark has more than enough space for them and us.”

 Prowl nodded, but he still wasn’t very happy for Jazz and Sparkplug to be doing this behind his back. Fortunately for the pair in question, any objections he had were cut off when Teletran-1 began giving an alert. Prowl rushed over to the terminal to see what was going on.

 “What’s happening?” Sparkplug asked.

 “Teletran just detected another stasis panel,” Prowl said. “Looks like your little move in is going to have to be put on hold.”

XXXXXX

Blackout entered the command center of the Nemesis with his prize in hand. He unapologetically pushed past Starscream and approached Megatron, presenting the panel to him with a humble bow.

 “Lord Megatron, I present my latest quarry.” Blackout said. Megatron smirked.

 “Good work, Blackout. Have your left no evidence of your little…excavation?”

 “Yes, my lord. I was very thorough in my extermination of the pests.” Blackout nodded. “I gave them no chance to fight back.”

 “Good, it would be a shame if any survivors made it our despite your best efforts. Secrecy is paramount, and any human who even catches a glimpse of us must die.” Megatron took the panel from Blackout and held it to Nightshade. “A present to you, my shadow.”

 “What?! How come she gets a Minicon? She didn’t do a damn thing!” Starscream exclaimed.

 “Because unlike you, Nightshade has continuously proven her loyalty to me time and time again.” Megatron said, looking at the other Cons to make sure they got the message. Starscream bristled, but remained silent, not intending on spending another afternoon in the med bay.

 Nightshade took the panel and had it read her biosignature. This panel was a modified version that housed a Mini-Con agent designed to only be activated by a Decepticon. The tiny object broke apart into particles and reformed into a solid form. The Minicon was appeared from this panel was much different than the others; it had an animalistic robot mode, like Ravage and Laserbeak, sporting the form of an owl with dark purple armor and large, round, red eyes. She stood in Nightshade’s palm on large feet tipped with sharp ivory talons and spun her head around to look up at Nightshade.

 “What’s your name, Minicon?” Megatron asked.

 “I am Songbird, Lord Megatron.” Songbird bowed her head to her new partner. “It is an honor to serve you, mistress.”

 Nightshade smiled at the little Minicon. “Hello, Songbird.”

 “Let this be an example you all of you!” Megatron said to the other Decepticons. “Those who serve me unconditionally will be rewarded handsomely, just like Nightshade. But those who dare stand against me and our cause,” He gave Starscream a fiery glare. “And you won’t live to see the next sunrise. Understood!”

 “Yes, Lord Megatron!”

XXXXXX

 The Autobots were assemble in the computer room as Optimus brought up a holographic map of the continent where the panel was located-in central Emmeria. The blinking red beacon that showed the panel’s location was inside one of the Emmerian Union’s member nations.

 “The panel is located in the Wielvakia Republic, in or near the city called Prague.” Prowl said. “Teletran-1’s located the beacon within the city’s territory, most likely within an abandoned part of the city. Maintaining our cover won’t be too difficult if that’s the case.”

 “But the signal is faint. We can barely get a lock on its coordinates.” Wheeljack said.

 “Any on ideas on what’s causing the disruption?” Optimus asked. Gina patted his foot to get his attention.

 “It might be underground,” Gina said. “Much of Prague’s old territory is half buried in an earthquake. It might be buried inside the rubble or possibly a building during the quake.”

 “How can you be sure?” Prowl asked skeptically. “You’ve never been to Prague, and we don’t have solid evidence that it’s underground.”

 “If the activation beacon works like an electrical signal, then the reason it’s so hard to detect is because it’s under a thick layer of rock.” Gina crossed her arms and gave him a smug look. “Geology 101. Learn it.”

 “Burn.” Annie chuckled.

 “If that’s the case, then can you estimate how far underground the panel is?” Optimus asked Gina.

 “I can only say that it must not be too far down if Teletran-1 can still detect it.” Gina answered. “Sorry, but that’s all I know.”

 “That’s okay, Gina, you’ve helped us greatly.” Optimus faced his team. “Prowl, call up Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee. They’re more equipped for urban combat.”

 “Yes, Prime.” Prowl said and walked out of the room. Once he was gone, Annie cleared her throat and raised her hand.

 “Hey, Optimus, what can we do?” She asked.

 “I’m sorry?” Optimus said, looking down at the girl.

 “What can we do to help?” Annie asked again, giving the Autobots an expecting look.

 “You want to come with us?” Sparkplug blinked. After almost getting blasted away by Megatron at point blank range, he thought that they would rather stay as far away from the fireworks as possible.

 “Out of the question, Annie.” Ratchet said. “These missions are too dangerous for humans, much less children.”

 “Optimus, we won’t be anywhere near the fighting!” Annie said, trying to appeal to the big boss. “We can just help get the Minicon behind the scenes while you guys kick some Decepticon ass!”

 Optimus crossed his arms. “The answer is still no.”

 To everyone’s surprise, it was Darren who reinforced his sister’s decision. “With all due respect, Optimus, she has a point. If the panel is underground, then I doubt any of you bots are small enough to fit inside whatever tiny crevice it’s stuck in. And we all know your vehicle modes aren’t going to cut it.”

 “We can head inside with the Street Action team and Sparkplug.” Gina said, inwardly hoping Prime would say yes. “They’ll keep us safe.”

 Optimus was very reluctant to condone such a thing. The children were already in danger from the Decepticons’ retaliation for awakening the Minicons in the first place, and this would only paint a larger target on their backs. But the logical part of him knew they were right. The panel was inside an enclosed space too small for the Autobots and, technically, having the children search for the panel during panel was the safest way to keep them out of harm’s way.

 “High Wire,” Optimus called the Minicon out. High Wire stepped forward. “I don’t need to yell you this, but you keep these children safe by any means necessary. If things get too dangerous, then abandon the mission and fall back immediately. Understood?”

 “Yes, Prime.” High Wire nodded. “Nothing will happen to the kids under out watch.”

 “Don’t worry, Optimus.” Sparkplug said and smiled at the kids. “They’re in safe hands.”

 “Good.” Optimus nodded, trusting Sparkplug’s judgment. “Autobots, prepare to mobilize!”

XXXXXX

 Prague was an old city with a lot of history behind it. Many who lived both in and around the city and were born here called Prague the city of the golem-not the ancient automatons, but the legendary giant made from clay reanimated by magic to protect the city against invaders. Prague was located on the Vitava River, and consisted of old buildings that have survived since the Middle Ages. For the Autobots that drove down its streets, it was like being transported back in time.

 But the novelty of the experience was quickly diminished as they traveled past the checkpoint and into the section of the city that had been ravaged beyond repair by the earthquake. Here, the buildings were far older, and the streets got narrow the deeper they went into the disaster zone.

 “And earthquake did all this?” Bumblebee whispered. “I didn’t think Prague sat on any major faultlines. And the damage here…it’s unreal.”

 “That’s why it’s so strange.” Gina said, taking pictures of the passing buildings with her phone. “You’d never expect Emmeria of all places to suffer a quake this violent, but it happened. Mother Nature is always unpredictable, Bumblebee. Doesn’t make the death toll any less horrific.”

 Prague’s “old city” was cut in half by a large jagged crack along where the fault line was situated. Like two unbalanced plates, half of the city was stuck on a lower level than the other, with many buildings set on an uneven scale; most were buried, others caved in or half destroyed, and many little more than piles of rubble. That’s not to say of the settlements that were dragged underground and buried along with a quarter of the city.

 The Autobots were heading towards a deep ridge that provided the only direct route to what’s left of the buried city-the place the children and Minicons were going to climb down to for the panel. Once they reached their destination, the bots released their passengers and transformed to their natural forms.

 “Wow,” Darren breathed as he peered down at the slope leading into the earth. It was so small and dark down there, even with the sunlight hanging over head, he couldn’t see the bottom! “You sure this is the quickest way to the panel?”

 “Yeah, the signal’s strongest here, so we might have a chance at getting close enough to it to snatch it. Don’t worry; the region hasn’t had any tectonic activity since the quake.” Gina assured him. She did some stretches and made sure she had her safety bag with her. “Okay, I’m all set and ready to go!”

 “Same here.” Annie and Darren said. Aside from the basic necessities required for the mission, such as rope to help them down underground and to act as a lifeline, they also had custom made scanners that looked like flip phones Wheeljack made to make their search easier. Despite knowing the inherent dangers to climbing into a crevice in a former earthquake zone, Arcee made sure the kids knew what they were getting into.

 “Remember, if you get into trouble down there, pull out immediately. Don’t take any risks, do you understand?”

 “Yes, yes, we get it, Arcee. At the first sign of trouble, we get the hell out of dodge. Now can we go already before the sun sets?” Annie asked impatiently. Optimus nodded.

 “Go, and stay safe children.” He said.

 The Street Action team went down first, helping their young charges down after them. Sparkplug went down last, giving Optimus a parting nod before following the others down into the earth. Arcee crossed her arms, still not comfortable with letting them go in alone.

 “Does anyone else feel like this is a bad idea?” She asked.

 “Relax, Arcee, the kids know what they’re getting into. They have Sparkplug and Goldfire watching their backs.” Bumblebee said.

 “The Minicons can’t protect them from everything. Sure they’re smart enough to avoid trouble,” Arcee thought about Annie. “Well, most of them, but if the Cons get past us-“

 “That won’t happen, Arcee.” Optimus cut her off. “Because we will be right here standing guard. You and Bumblebee set up a perimeter around the crevice. Bulkhead, you’re with me. Stay on your guard, for the Decepticons may already be here in hiding.”

 Optimus was, unfortunately, right in that regard, for up in the sky, Laserbeak was watching them, circling above like a robotic vulture waiting for its prey to enter its final death throes. He cut his observation short and flew to the far corner of the city, unseen by the Autobots. Soundwave, along with Megatron and Starscream, were sitting in pace waiting for his intel. He landed on Soundwave’s shoulder and fluttered his wings.

 “Four Autobots are at the edge of the crevice. Optimus Prime is leading this one personally.” Laserbeak said. Megatron nodded.

 “Good, I was looking for a good fight. Soundwave, you stay back and monitor the field from here.”

 “Understood.” Soundwave nodded.

 “Starscream, do you copy?” Megatron asked.

 Up in the sky, Starscream was circling above the hot zone in jet mode, waiting for the signal. “Loud and clear.”

 “I want you and Nightshade to move in and attack them with all your firepower. We need to catch their attention.”

 “ _Don’t worry Megatron, I’m sure I can complete this task even with your pet bird lagging behind me_.” Starscream said arrogantly.

 Nightshade paid his comment no mind, making a mental note to break his wings after he mission. She snuck closer toward the Autobots, sipping through the streets and into the remains of a church that was large enough to hide her large form. Looking through the hole in the domed roof, she saw her targets and waved Songbird over.

 “You know what to do.” She whispered.

 Songbird nodded and leapt off her perch, transforming into her weapon mode-a dark purple rail gun that attached to Nightshade’s right arm. Nightshade charged the rail gun and pointed it at the Autobots, or more specifically, Optimus Prime. Waiting until her target stopped moving, she fired her weapon, releasing a powerful burst of electromagnetic energy that shot at the back of Prime’s head.

XXXXXX

 When the kids said that the underground was no place for Autobots, they weren’t exaggerating, Sparkplug mused. He noted how little space there was to maneuver the deeper they went, with barely enough wiggle room for the Minicons let alone the kibble-less kids. They made it onto the semi-even ground and followed the trail of shattered buildings and shredded streets using their flashlights to light their way.

 Gina had a sky spy ahead to scout a safe route for them to take. Despite having been a decade since the quake, there was a high possibility that the area was still structurally unstable, and one displaced rock could bury them alive.

 They exited the small tunnel into a carve that was large enough to encompass a mall parking lot. Many buildings stood slanted, their roofs caved in, with older stone buildings remaining mostly intact. The cavern itself was actually formed, with a section of the town having fallen into it during the quake and buried by increasing layers of rock over the years.

 “So on a scale of one to ten, how likely is the chance of this cave collapsing on us?” Grindor asked.

 “Grindor.” High Wire sighed.

 “I’m sorry, but you can never be too careful with these things. I had a friend back on Epistemus, an energon miner; he was an expert on geological events. The guy knew where you could and couldn’t dig based on how stable the mine was. And you want to know what happened to him?”

 “No, we don’t, Grindor.” Sureshock said.

 “He got killed in a quake. A boulder just fell on him and killed him instantly, in a mine he thought was completely safe.” Grindor finished. Gina groaned and glared back at him.

 “What’s your point, Grindor? We’re trying to work here.” She said.

 “I’m just saying to keep your wits about ya.” He shrugged. “Never know when this place might get the shakes. Hell, this whole cave could come crashing down on our heads any-“

 “Shut up, Grindor, just shut up!” Darren hissed. This wasn’t helping his growing claustrophobia at all.

 The sky spy returned and showed them the path it had mapped out. They followed the trail through the rubble and came upon a large temple, or what was left of it. The front part of the temple had collapsed in on itself, with a giant boulder sitting on top of the rubble. The rest of the building was also damaged by a statue that had fallen against the side and was just sitting on the roof supported by the still holding support beams. The sky spy hovered over the ruined temple and blinked its lights.

 “I think the sky spy found the panel.” Gina said. “Its somewhere in the rubble.”

 “It must’ve been in the temple as a sacred relic when the quake hit.” High Wire said.

 “Great, so how are we going to get it?” Grindor asked. “Anyone got any shovels?”

 “No, but we do have a telekinetic.” Annie looked at her brother. Darren nodded and stepped forward.

 “This shouldn’t be any problem for me so long as the panel’s not under the boulder.” He said. “I just need some concentration and-“

 A loud boom caused them to jump in surprise, and the Minicons immediately got in front of the kids. It took them a minute to realize that the muffled explosions were coming from the surface.

 “Slag, it looks like the party’s kicking off up there.” Grindor said.

 “You have no idea, scrapheap.” Someone laughed.

 Sparkplug’s eyes widened as a small figure walked up to them down the ruined street. He recognized the small mech as Leader-1, his confidant in the Micron faction and partner on various secret projects, including the Minicon gestalt program.

 “Leader-1?”

 “Sparkplug,” leader-1 greeted with disdain in his voice. “I thought you would’ve perished in the crash with your pacifist friends, but I guess that was too much to ask from Mortilus, eh?”

 “What are you doing here? Were you in the panel Megatron stole?” Sparkplug asked. He made to walk toward his friend, but High Wire held him back. “High Wire, what…?”

 “Don’t, Sparkplug. Look.” High Wire pointed to the Decepticon symbol on Leader-1’s right shoulder. That was when Sparkplug noticed the two microcassettes in Leader-1’s hands; one red and one blue.

 “No,” Sparkplug whispered in horror, realizing the implications. “Leader-1, why are you with the Decepticons?”

 “That is a story for another time, preferably when I’m dancing on your corpse.” Leader-1 threw the cassettes in the air, and before their eyes, they grew in size, unfolding into two 11 foot tall mechs-the twins Rumble and Frenzy, who looked at the Minicons and children with bloodthirsty grins. “Rumble, Frenzy, kill them all.”

XXXXXX

 Optimus reacted before he even saw the blast heading towards his head. He dodged the beam just as it shot past his face and took out a building instead. Without pausing, Optimus spun around an fired his ion cannon in the direction the attack came from, forcing Nightshade to leave her hiding spot to avoid the powerful energy blast. She continued shooting at the Autobots even as they opened fire on her, not pulling out despite the odds.

 Bumblebee was the first to see the jet flying towards them. Starscream targeted the Autobots and fired two hunter seeker missiles before breaking off. Bumblebee and Arcee jumped aside as the missiles hit their spot and exploded with great force, taking out two buildings.

 “They aren’t pulling punches.” Arcee remarked.

 “Of course they aren’t, they’re fighting us!” Bumblebee quipped with a smile. Seeing that Starscream was circling around for another air strike, Bumblebee aimed his blaster and waited for the Seeker to get within his range. He waited for his acute optics to zero-in on Starscream before firing his shot.

 As expected, the blast soared through the air before hitting Starscream’s right wing near the base. He gave a startled cry, clearing not expecting not to get hit at his speed and spiraled out of control. Taking a hard nose dive towards the ground, Starscream switched to robot mode to use his boosters to slow his fall, crashing into a building before rolling to a stop.

 “Now you know what it’s like being on solid ground with the rest of us.” Bumblebee smirked. Starscream jumped to his feet, covered in dust and really, really angry.

 “You insufferable ingrate!” He growled. “I’ll-“

 Arcee cut off his insult with a kick to the face that sent him into another building. “Save it for the choir.”

 Optimus and Bulkhead continued shooting at Nightshade, who was ducking in between buildings and popping up just long enough to fire at them before ducking behind cover again. When Bulkhead fired a blast that grazed her arm, Nightshade transformed to beast mode and flew at him, shoving her talons in Bulkhead’s face to push him back. Optimus aimed at her, but a familiar war cry caught his attention.

 “Prime!”

 A silver tank came crashing through a church and rammed into Optimus, sending him through the empty buildings and into the town square. Optimus dug his feet into the ground and with some effort, lifted the tank above him with his powerful arms. He threw the tank almost a yard across the square, and watched as it split apart and reconfigured into a large humanoid form, landing on heavy feet and glaring at Optimus,

 “Megatron,” Optimus said his tone hard as stone. “I was beginning to wonder when you’d show.”

 “Why should I miss out on obtaining the third Minicon, Prime?” Megatron smirked. “We’re on a winning streak after all.”

 “Only you would treat the Minicons like they’re trophies!”

 “Because they are! You’re just too afraid to relish in the power they grant!”

 Megatron fired his fusion cannon, but Optimus allowed the beam too shoot past his shoulder as he charged at Megatron. Batting the cannon aside, he took out his battle axe and brought it down on Megatron. Megatron drew his own arm blade and parried the blow.

 “Where are the Minicons, Megatron?” Optimus grunted, pushing against his nemesis. “I thought you would jump at a chance to make them dance to your tune in battle.”

 “As usual, you just to conclusions, Optimus. What makes you think I’m using them against their own will they fight for my goals, the same as those mindless drones you call soldiers fight for yours.”

 Megatron kicked Optimus away and slashed his sword along his chest. The cut wasn’t lethal, leaving only a shallow gash in his armor. Optimus spun his axe to parry another strike as Megatron continued to taunt him.

 “In fact,” Megatron smirked. “My most trusted Minicon is doing my bidding for me-getting the panel and wiping out those pathetic life forms you hold dear!”

 Optimus’ eyes grew wide as he made a realization. “The children!”

XXXXXX

  Darren lifted the rocks around him away from the pile before him, trying to focus on his task while the battle was going on not too far from him and the girls. The Street Action Team had merged into Centurion and was fighting Rumble and Frenzy at the same time. The gestalt was doing a good job holding his own against the twin Cons, but it was a tough battle. Centurion had to dodge Rumble’s heavy handed blows and avoid having a hole gore into his back by Frenzy’s drills. He used a combination of agile flips and fake-outs to take care of both twins with a lack of weapons.

 Sparkplug and Leader-1 were engaged in a very intense fight of their own. They were in the middle of a brutal fist fight, punching and kicking without care for their own injuries. Leader-1 shifted one of his arms into a blaster while Sparkplug took out an extendable laser staff to deflect the plasma bolts fired at him.

 “Why? Why do this?” Sparkplug demanded. He swung his staff at Leader-1, who took out his vibroblade and deflected the strike. “I thought we were friends. I thought you wanted to escape the war!”

 Leader-1 kicked him back and threw a slash at his head, which he dodged only just barely. “Escape? Sparkplug, who do you think told the Cons about the Exodus anyway?” He laughed. “I never wanted to leave. I wanted to be in control. I wanted to be a part of the winning team.”

 “Don’t you see what Megatron’s trying to do?” Sparkplug yelled. “He’s enslaving us!”

 “Only the disobedient ones. You made a grave mistake, Sparkplug, and that was trying to be neutral in a war where taking sides decides if you see the next sunrise. There’s no such thing as neutrality in this conflict, it’s either the Autobots or the Decepticons. And you chose the Autobots; your first mistake!”

 Leader-1 jumped back and transformed into his all terrain cybertronian ATV, pointing his twin orange pulse cannons not at Sparkplug, but at the children.

 “Kids!” Sparkplug yelled.

 Leader-1 fired two pulse blasts from his cannons and watched with sadistic glee as they shot at the children. To his surprise, the only boy in the group actually ran forward and, to Leader-1’s even greater surprise and outrage, he raised his hands and the pulse blasts hit an invisible barrier inches away from him.

 “How?!” Leader-1 roared.

 Darren set his sights on Leader-1 and mentally commanded large rocks to rise from the ground and threw them at the Mini-Con. Two were shot down, but the other four hit Leader-1 dead center, knocking him over. Sparkplug rushed in and grappled Leader-1’s vehicle mode.

 “Don’t interfere! Just get the panel!” He yelled at them. Darren looked at him, shocked.

 “But-“

 “Don’t argue! Just get it and go!”

 Darren was still reluctant, but Gina brought him back to the task at hand. “Darren, the panel’s right there. We have to grab it and go before they start losing ground.”

 “But the Minicons-“

 “Will be fine!” Annie yelled. “But they’ll lose steam if we keep standing here wasting time!”

 Darren nodded at the girls and pushed them aside. He took a deep breath and released a couple of telekinetic waves, brushing aside the large rocks with strong psychic pushes that got stronger each time. He didn’t stop until he saw the green glow of the stasis panel pinned between two boulders. With a hard yank, he pulled it free and Gina caught it.

 “Let’s go.” Gina said.

 Frenzy was punched hard in the jaw and crashed into the side of a half destroyed wall. Rubbing his chin, he glared at Centurion. The little mech was livid; he didn’t sign up for this op just to get his slag pushed in by some freak of nature! He stood up and caught a glimpse of the children making a run for it with the panel.

 “Bro!” He called to his twin.

 Rumble also saw the kids and grinned. “I see them!”

 Taking his focus off Centurion for a moment, Rumble’s arms folded into oversized pile drivers and began hammering into the ground with tremendous force. He generated intense vibrations from his arms into the ground, causing the cavern to shake violently. Darren tripped over his feet and quickly deflected a falling boulder from crushing Annie with a force barrier. Leader-1 transformed and punched Sparkplug away, swinging his vibroblade at his head, which Sparkplug leaned back from, getting a cut on his cheek.

 Frenzy ran at Gina and brandished his drills. “Hand over the panel toots and I won’t have to rearrange your face!”

 “Try it and see what happens!” Gina said defiantly. She tossed the panel at Annie. “Heads up!”

 Annie ran backwards and caught the panel in her arms like it was a football, fumbling with it a bit before grabbing hold of the panel. “I got it!”

 “And I got you!”

She screamed as Rumble appeared behind her and quickly threw the panel at Darren. “Darren, go deep!”

 Darren caught the panel in his telekinetic grip and levitated it into his hands. Hearing Annie’s scream he looked up and almost felt his blood freeze. Rumble had Annie in one of his massive claws, holding her tight in an iron-hard grasp around her torso.

 “Hand over the panel or I’ll snap her neck!” Rumble threatened.

XXXXXX

 Nightshade fought hard against Arcee and Bulkhead. It wasn’t hard to outpace the green Autobot, but he hit hard. He fired blaster bolts at her while Arcee ran in close and attacked her with her twin rapiers. Nightshade parried her attacks with her own swords and they dueled atop empty house that shuddered from their weight.

 “I don’t know why, but I thought the great cyber-ninja Arcee would’ve been a better fighter than this.” Nightshade said.

 Arcee slashed at Nightshade’s head, but she ducked under them and kicked her in the chest. Arcee rolled onto her back and to her feet. Almost immediately she had to lean back to avoid having her head skewered by the swords Nightshade stabbed at her face. The femme spun around for another attack, but a wrecking ball slammed into her chest. Nightshade hit the ground hard and rolled to her feet, glaring at Bulkhead.

 “Didn’t see that coming did ya?” Bulkhead smirked. He retracted his wrecking ball and shifted his other arm into his blaster, shooting at Nightshade.

 The Con rolled to the side, catching a bolt to her leg before leaping up and firing her railgun at Bulkhead. She scored a hit on his chest and took him down before blocking a strike from Arcee. Bulkhead groaned as he felt the burn on chest from the direct hit. Seeing Arcee fight the female Con, bulkhead rushed to air his comrade, but got hit in the arm by two missiles.

 “Oh come on!” Bulkhead exclaimed and looked over to see Soundwave walking towards him. “You really don’t wanna mess with me right now, chatterbox.”

 “Arrogance will only get you so far, Autobot.” Soundwave said, taking out his concussion rifle.

 “You’re one to talk. Now let’s see how you fight against someone who can tank your punches!” Bulkhead said and charged at Soundwave, throwing a punch at Soundwave, who did the same.

 At the same time, Bumblebee was racing through the streets trying to outpace the constant bombardment of laser fire Starscream shot at him. The yellow Autobot weaved through the streets trying to shake off the Seeker, but couldn’t stop without getting pumped full of holes like a rupture energon tank.

 “Pathetic fools!” Starscream cackled. “There’s no escape!”

 Starscream paused in his assault, but the slight reprieve only yielded to the other weapon in Starscream’s aerial arsenal. Bumblebee turned a corner when he noticed Starscream firing two missiles at him.

 “Scrap!” Bumblebee exclaimed. The missiles were laser guided, meaning that Starscream could lead them straight to him with greater accuracy. Bumblebee had to do a fake out to avoid the first missile, which blew up a statue once led off course. The second one nearly hit him, the explosion close enough to his trunk that the blast wave caused him to swerve out of control and slam into the side of the building.

 He switched modes and rubbed his head to get the ringing out of his head. Seeing Starscream streak overhead, Bumblebee finally had enough. “All right,” He grunted. “I’ve always wanted to fly.”

 He jumped atop a building, which groaned a bit from his weight and waited for Starscream to fly in close again. Starscream circled around and flew low to the rooftops to tear the scout apart with his laser guns, but he wasn’t expecting Bumblebee to suddenly jump up and grab his wing. Starscream yelped and tried to maintain his balance with the scout hanging onto him like a scraplet.

 “Get off me, you fool!” He yelled.

 “Like hell I will, this is awesome!” Bumblebee laughed.

 The Autobot hung onto the Seeker with all his might despite the high speeds, even when Starscream smashed into the sides of the buildings to dislodge him. He would’ve hung on longer but he realized that Starscream was flying higher into the air, to a distance where a free fall would be fatal. He needed to cut this flight short. Shakily taking a hand off, Bumblebee fired his stinger into Starscream’s fuselage, getting a pained cry. They spun in the air as Starscream lost altitude and fell into a death spiral. When they neared the ground, Bumblebee jumped off and crashed into a rooftop, while Starscream had to change forms to slow his descent. Still, it crashed to the ground hard and rolled along the buildings with a trail of destruction left in his wake.

 As for Bumblebee, he was lying on a pile of rubble inside the building he fell on, his back aching painfully from the rough landing.

 “Ugh, well at least no one can say I didn’t do my job.” He laughed. “Take that Prowl! Haha, ow…”

XXXXXX

 “Hand over the panel or the girl get’s it!” Rumble shouted, lifting Annie off her feet.

 “I’d do it if I were you, boy.” Leader-1 said, struggling against Sparkplug over the proton staff. “Rumble has twitchy fingers.”

 “Don’t give it to him, Darren!” Annie yelled. She grunted when Rumble tightened his grip on her.

 “Shut up!”

 Darren’s heart was beating a mile a minute. He didn’t know what to do in this situation. They came down here to save a Minicon, not lose someone in the process! Looking at Sparkplug, he knew that the Micron leader wouldn’t risk any of their lives for a panel. But then he had an idea.

 “Okay, you win.” He said to Rumble. “I’ll hand it over to you. Just don’t hurt her.”

 Letting go of the panel, he let it float over to Rumble, his hands in the air to show that he wasn’t going to do any tricks…that he knew of. Annie tried to protest his actions, but she caught the gleam in his eye and calmed down. Unknown to his onlookers, Darren was only controlling the panel with his left hand; his right was focusing on creating a small bubble of telekinetic energy inside Rumble’s hand. When Rumble reached out to grab the panel, Darren made his move.

 BANG! There was a deafening boom as the force bomb detonated like a gunshot inside Rumble’s hand. Like a cherry bomb, the bomb popped with enough force to separate Annie from the surprised Rumble, who reeled back as two of his claws were ripped off from the force of the little explosion. Darren psychically grabbed Annie’s shirt and pulled her over to him with the panel into his arms.

 “No!” Leader-1 howled.

 Centurion rushed at Frenzy, punching him in the face and throwing him across the cavern into Leader-1. Sparkplug jumped and fired his blaster at Rumble, shooting him in the face and chest to keep him at bay long enough to allowed the kids to regroup with him. Darren slashed his hand and a couple of large rocks slammed into Rumble until he was partially buried under a pile of rubble. Frenzy pushed Leader-1 off him and jumped up.

 “You’re not going anywhere you brats!” Frenzy growled and took a deep breath. Rumble realized what his brother planned to do and tried to stop him.

 “No bro, wait!” He shouted, but he was too late.

 Frenzy ignored him as he released an intense sonic scream that reverberated throughout the cavern. Centurion had just enough time to push the kids away before taking the brunt of the sonic wave. His audio sensors descended into white noise and his body shook from the intense sonic vibrations that hit him like a rogue wave. The children were on the side covering their ears in pain from the unholy shrieking.

 “How is he so loud?” Annie yelled, but realized she could barely hear herself speak, which was not a good sign.

 Sparkplug saw Centurion stagger before falling to his knees and breaking apart into his three components. The already dazed Minicons wouldn’t do much and they were in danger of falling into stasis if this kept up. Not to mention the structural integrity of the cave was weakening. Time was up!

 “Darren!” Sparkplug made hand motions at Frenzy, signaling to take him out.

 Luckily Darren understood his sign language and acted quickly. Focusing hard, he clenched his hand and the ground under Frenzy shattered in his face, knocking him back and forcing his scream up at the cave ceiling, where his sonic waves dislodged part of the ceiling and sent rocks falling on them. The Street Action Team scrambled out of the way as pieces of stone crashed to the ground, though Frenzy was unlucky enough to be buried under some boulders that collapsed on top of him. Leader-1 saw Sparkplug making a run for the entrance as more rocks rained down on them. Leader-1 tried to give chase, but found himself blocked off from following them.

 “No, no, no!” He roared in anger and frustration. “You’re not escaping me!”

 Sparkplug spared a glance back at Leader-1 before the rocks obscured his view. More debris fell, but the children and Minicons were already making their way to the surface.

XXXXXX

 Gina ran over to their guardians to check them over. They were mostly unharmed, sporting superficial wounds from Frenzy’s sonic attack that could heal on their own. Aside from that and the intense headaches, nothing serious could be seen.

 “You guys all right?” She asked. She got multiple groans in response.

 “Depends on your meaning.” Grindor said. “Do you mean all right as in we can still hear, or as in our internal circuitry isn’t ruptured beyond repair?” Sureshock bonked him on the head. “Would you stop doing that?!”

 “Annie, how are you doing?” High Wire asked. The girl smiled, though he could see she was a bit shaken.

 “I’m doing fine, now. And we’ve got the panel.” Annie pointed at the stasis panel in Darren’s hands. “That was pretty intense though.”

 “Intense doesn’t even begin to describe it.” Darren said. He glanced over at Sparkplug, who was still staring at the rock wall that collapsed behind them. “Sparkplug, what’s the matter?”

 “Nothing, Darren.” Sparkplug said curtly, as if he was trying to keep his emotions in check. He gave Darren a fake smile. “Everything’s fine. Now let’s get topside and give Optimus the good news.”

 Darren didn’t look very convinced, but he withheld his questions and followed his friends back up the crevice. It was probably best to let him be and have someone he knows better talk to him.

XXXXXX

 The battle on the surface continued to rage on. Bulkhead fought a difficult battle with Soundwave, who proved to be a trick opponent to fight. Arcee and Nightshade were still engaged in their sword duel, and Bumblebee was stuck in a shootout with Starscream. As for Optimus and Megatron, they had escalated to fighting with melee weapons.

 Optimus dodged a slash from Megatron and swung his battle axe at him, only for the Con to grab the heated blade with his hands and struggle to wrench the weapon from his grasp. Both leaders didn’t fight as hard as they should’ve-it was a waiting game to see if their smaller allies could reach the surface first with the panel.

 Then news came in the form of Leader-1, his voice barely audible from the interference underground. “ _Megatron…”_

“Leader-1, what is taking you so long?” Megatron growled, ducking under Prime’s axe and throwing a kick at his head. “Do you have the panel?”

 _“N-no, my lord,”_ Leader-1 said nervously. “ _The Autobots’ Minicons and-“_

“Gah!” Megatron shut his comm off in rage and charged at Optimus. Their blades clashed, sparks flew, and they glared at each other over their weapons.

 “It would seem that the so-called pathetic life forms you ridicule prevailed over you all-powerful warriors.” Megatron could practically feel the smirk in Optimus’s voice. “How unfortunate.”

 Megatron snarled and tried to stab his blade into Prime’s head, but Optimus leaned to the side and spun around, burying his axe into Megatron’s shoulder. He pulled him in close to stare into his nemesis’s eyes as he said his next words.

 “You called me weak for trusting me comrades, but you are the one who’s weak!” Optimus said. “You, who has spent your whole military career keeping your soldiers at a distance, using fear to keep your people in line. How long do you think the fear tactic will last you?”

 “Shut your mouth!” Megatron need Optimus in the chest, making him lose the deadlock. He ripped the axe from his shoulder, ignoring the sizzling scar in his metallic skin before he ran at Optimus. Prime grabbed his fist and glared at him.

 “How long will it be before fear turns to anger and you’re tossed aside like the senators you overthrew? Before you’re treated like yesterday’s trash. Last year’s damaged goods?”

Optimus headbutted him and kicked him in the chest, knocking him into a fountain. Optimus took out his ion cannon as he continued taunting Megatron.

 “To them, you’re nothing but junk.” He went on. “That’s what you are-junk!”

 “SILENCE!”

 Megatron raised his cannon arm to shoot Prime down, but Optimus was faster. In just a few seconds, Optimus was able to aim his ion cannon and fire off a blast that entered the barrel of the warlord’s fusion canon. The fusion cannon exploded from the inside and seriously damaged Megatron’s arm in the process. Nightshade saw the battle wasn’t going her leader’s way and her protective instincts flared up.

 “Megatron!” She cried out. Leaping away from Arcee, she transformed and flew at Optimus, firing a volley of small missile darts from under her feathers. He jumped away from the missiles, but this allowed Nightshade to attend to her leader. Megatron tried to shake her off, but she was persistent, ordering Soundwave to regroup with them and summon a ground bridge.

 “What are you doing? I didn’t order a retreat!” Megatron said.

 “You’re wounded and the Autobots have the Minicon. There’s no reason for us to be here anymore.” Nightshade argued. Looking at Starscream, she said, “Meet us back at the Nemesis.”

 Starscream scowled but nodded, switching to jet mode and flying away with less than happy thoughts on his mind. ‘The one mission Megatron goes on, and we lose the Minicon. Typical.’

 Megatron glared heatedly at Optimus as his first lieutenant led him into the ground bridge that appeared behind them. “This isn’t over Prime!”

 “It never is.” Optimus calmly replied.

 The three Cons vanished into the ground bridge and it shrank out of existence. Optimus took a moment to breath in some fresh air into his intakes to cool his heated systems and looked over at his teammates. They all looked no worse for wear, but Bumblebee looked like he got dragged through the dirt after getting trampled by a herd of Thunderhooves.

 “Is everyone all right?” Optimus asked them.

 “Never better, sir.” Bumblebee grinned weakly. “But my legs hurt. And everything else too.”

 “We’re all fine, Optimus, but what about the children?” Arcee asked with no small amount of concern. “Are they safe?”

 “They’re all fine, Arcee.” Optimus said, giving her what he could manage as a smile. “In fact, they’ve completed their mission.”

 He pointed to the crevice and the bots were pleased and relieved to see the children and Minicons climbing out, safe and sound but tired and dirty. And in Darren’s arms was the stasis panel. Optimus never felt so proud in his time on this planet, and was glad that the children had escaped unharmed. They had proven themselves.

XXXXXX

 Sparkplug stood in the doorway of the Minicon/human area of the Ark watching his fellow Minicons and the children greet their newest arrival, a bubbly orange two wheeler femme named Tracer. The hyperactive and cheerful femme zipped across the room seemingly in the blink of an eye trying to look at everything at once and asking questions a mile a minute without giving anyone time to explain.

 “Sparkplug,” Optimus walked up to him. “How is our new arrival doing?”

 “She’s doing fine.” Sparkplug told him. “She’s a bit of a handful, but she’ll settle down in time.”

 Optimus saw Liftor nearly jump two feet into the air when Tracer warped in front of him and Sureshock had to calm him down. “I can see that. but what about you? You’ve been quiet ever since we got back.”

 Sparkplug frowned. “Optimus, back in that cave I…I ran into one of the other Minicons from the Exodus.”

 “Another Minicon? Were you able to save him?”

 “No…because he didn’t need saving. Leader-1 was a sleeper agent for the Decepticons placed on the Exodus by Megatron. I don’t know for sure, but he alluded that the Exodus crashing wasn’t as much as an accident as I originally thought.”

 Optimus narrowed his eyes. “It was sabotage.”

 “By one of our own. And now I think they’re might be more Decepticon agents hidden among the refugees. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about.” Sparkplug groaned, rubbing his forehead. “Why would he do this? We worked on the Exodus together, helped rally the Minicons after Overrun’s dead, and yet he just goes and sells us out to Megatron like we’re just living weapons.”

 “That is war, Sparkplug. It brings out the worst in people. Leader-1 made his choice and he will not be the first or last to betray his people for power and self-preservation.” Optimus said, his tone soft and sad. “It’s a hard truth. You’d be surprised how easy it is for a friend or a brother to turn around and betray everything they stood for just for a taste of power and status. Temptation is a being’s worst enemy in war.”

 Sparkplug mulled over his words a bit before asking,” So what do we do now?”

 “What we have been doing all this time. Save as many Minicons as possible and bring those who threaten their freedom to justice.” Optimus replied and began to walk away. “And try to keep those closest to you from losing themselves in this war.”

 Sparkplug watched him go before sighing as crossing his arms. As the leader of the Microns, a group of neutral Minicons and sole representative of Terra’s Minicon population, it was his job to make sure that his people were safe and yet, all he managed to do was get them stranded on a distant world, scattered to the winds with their ship torn in half and now being systematically hunted down like those power-ups from Annie’s video games. And now he had to worry about which stasis panel held a Decepticon hidden amongst the Minicons.

 Who could he trust?

 


	5. River of Secrets

Chapter 4-River of Secrets

 There was absolutely nothing to do on the Nemesis, which was perfectly understandable given that it was a mighty warship, not some space luxury cruise. But working under a warlord who could blow your head off just for sneezing in his direction was stressful; mix that with living under the same roof as Starscream and one needs a method of relaxation that doesn’t involve shooting yourself in the head. And for the Decepticons, the best way to do that was to beat the scrap out of each other. Under controlled conditions, of course.

 Inside the ship’s war room, which was where the Decepticons took their free time to drink, chat or make threats at each other, there was a hexagonal sparring ring where the crew would have matches against each other to work out their frustrations in a civilized (for them) manner. It was also a decent place to settle disputes the old fashioned way or brush up on their fighting skills, something Megatron or Nightshade would occasionally. There were no rules save for the prohibition of weapons. There was a difference between beating someone to a pulp and riddling them with holes and wasting ammo. The latter had little battlefield prowess in Megatron’s opinion compared to a true warrior trained in all manners of fighting.

 “Look at her, Thundercracker.” Knockout said to his daily drinking buddy as they watched a sparring match between Nightshade and Barricade. “Isn’t she just glorious to look at?”

 “Good grief, is everything just appearances to you?” Thundercracker grumbled. Knockout frowned at him and pointed to the fight.

 “Look at her and tell me that seeing her fight isn’t magical.”

 Magical wouldn’t be the word to described her, but Thundercracker did agree it was entertaining to see. Nightshade was fast, unsurprising given her lithe form. Barricade attacked her with a series of punches and kicks that never connected because she would weave her body around his arms, deflecting his hands and feet to throw him off balance while pushing him back with strong palm strikes.

 “Stand still!” Barricade grunted. He threw a punch at her face, but she smacked his arm aside and kicked his face. A spin-kick to the chest knocked him to the floor.

 “Stand still? You think your enemies are just going to listen to you if you ask nicely?” Nightshade scolded.

 Barricade growled and jumped up, trying to punch her, but missing by a few inches as she spun around his arm and grabbed it, pulling him close to her. Knockout and Thundercracker winced as she punched Barricade repeatedly in the face; the screech of her knuckles digging into his face plate was like the scratching of nails on a chalkboard. She finished her assault with a kick to the chest and leaped into the air, pulling him into her arms. Nightshade spun his body so his head was parallel to the ground and used the momentum of the fall to slam him into the floor. The impact was hard enough to send vibrations through the wing and make the other Cons wince.

 “That’s…gonna leave a hangover in the morning.” Thundercracker whistled. He saw Rumble handing Frenzy a few energon goodies with a grumble.

 “Told you she was magical.” Knockout grinned and sipped his drink. “Nightshade is one of the most skilled warriors among our ranks. Shame that such quality can’t be found anywhere else.”

 “Beating Barricade in a fight is hardly what I call skill.” A haughty voice said.

 “Speaking of low quality…” Thundercracker muttered, seeing Starscream and Skywarp walk up to them at the bar.

 “You’re one to talk, Starscream. You can barely fight with your fists without worrying about getting dents in your little wings.” Rumble teased.

 “Not surprisin’, seein’ as he fights like a blind protoforms.” Frenzy grinned.

 “Screams like on too!” Leader-1 hollered.

 The entire room erupted into laughter; with the other Cons throwing thinly disguised taunts and insults Starscream’s way. Skywarp stepped forward to defend his leader.

 “Shut your mouths! Starscream is the greatest Seeker in Cybertronian history, and he’s an ace in the skies!” He yelled. “Not even his sister could-“

 “Skywarp!” Starscream hissed. Skywarp fell silent, realizing that he said the taboo word and softly apologized.

 “Well since you think so highly of your own skills, Starscream, perhaps you would like to educate us…in the ring.” Nightshade smiled darkly as she said this and snapped her fingers. Soundwave stepped out of the shadows and entered the ring silently. Starscream muttered a curse when he realized what she was planning to do.

 “How about a little match?” She suggested. “No guns, no blades, no slag. You and Soundwave with just your fists and your wits. How about it?”

 The other Cons agreed with her wholeheartedly and were all eager for a fight, leaving Starscream in a precarious position. Refusing the challenge in front of the entire team would make him look like a coward and essentially ruin his standing within the Decepticon ranks. But he also knew that Soundwave was a brutal and efficient fighter as well, which didn’t look good for his chances at victory. Clearing his throat, Starscream stepped into the ring as dignified as he could be in their one-sided fight.

 “Very well, Nightshade, I accept your challenge.” He said calmly, smirking. “But don’t blame me when I beat your little pet within an inch of his life.”

 Nightshade moved to exit the ring, but as she passed Soundwave, she whispered one order to him. “Make it hurt.”

 The two combatants stood across each other in the ring, sizing up one another. Starscream waited for Soundwave to make his move, but the spymaster stood there like a statue, not even taking a stance. Scowling, Starscream decided to make the first move. With a yell, he ran forward and threw a punch at Soundwave, who swiftly dodged him and left him stumbling forward from his momentum. Starscream then saw Soundwave standing on his left.

 Starscream growled and came at Soundwave with a flurry of punches and kicks at Soundwave, which were avoided with embarrassing ease. Starscream was no slouch in battle, but he was more adept at using his laser cannons and blades in conjunction with his natural agility. Not to mention Soundwave was well versed in the Seeker’s combat style. When Starscream launched a spin-kick at his head, Soundwave caught his leg and held it tightly.

 At the bar, Rumble and Frenzy grinned at each other. Starscream was so dead.

 With a hard yank, Soundwave sent Starscream spinning to the floor. Starscream jumped back up and fought back once more, and Soundwave would block each punch and kick thrown his way, retaliating with hard jabs that hurt but didn’t take the Seeker out of the fight. Starscream was losing his temper and his attacks were suffering because of it. Finally, Soundwave grabbed his fist and spun around, twisting his arm behind his back.

 “Submit.” Soundwave demanded.

 “Seekers n-never yield!” Starscream growled and spat at his face. Soundwave responded by pulling on his arm until there was a sickening crack. Starscream gave a pained cry, but it was barely heard over the roar of the spectators cheering for Soundwave.

 “Well, it seems Soundwave has won.” Nightshade said mildly, but her smirk betrayed her amusement. “And you lost.”

 Starscream said nothing as he held his broken arm. Soundwave retreated from the ring as Nightshade added insult to injury.

 “Just comes to show that you aren’t tough slag after all.” She went on to say. “Better luck never, Starscream.”

 Knockout, who was silent the entire fight, leaned over to Thundercracker. “Watch out for the quiet ones.”

XXXXXX

 “And that is how we synthesize energon.” Wheeljack said after finally finishing his rather lengthy explanation on how artificial energon was made.

 “Wow. That’s…a lot to take in.” Annie said in unrestrained awe.

 The girl was tagging behind Wheeljack and Bulkhead as they worked on checking the Ark’s energon stores, with cubes filled with blue liquid synthesized from energy produced by the Ark’s solar receptors. Considering they were going to be on Terra for quite some time now, the Autobots made sure their supplies was sufficient for the long term mission, since Terra’s energon stores were few in number despite the Decepticons uncovering them. Wheeljack had explained how artificial energon was created from external sources like solar energy. The science behind it was seriously advanced, and most of it went over her head, but Annie knew it was cool all the same.

 Once Wheeljack filled up the last cube, he handed some to Bulkhead and they walked out of the storage area toward the rec room to replace the tanks behind the bar. Annie was sitting on Bulkhead’s shoulder as they talked.

 “So if you guys can make your own energon, then it shouldn’t be too different for you, right?” Annie asked.

 “Synthesizing energon takes time and uses more energy than necessary. And in combat operations, energon is used more than we can make.” Bulkhead explained. “It’s easier to just mine raw energon and use it, but natural energon can only be found on Cybertron and its moons.”

 “And yet there’s energon on this planet.” Annie said, gaining a nod from the two mechs. “So…if energon’s so hard to find and make these days, can’t you just chug down oil or something?”

 “Only if we’re really desperate. Our systems were made for consuming and processing energon, and while we can ingest other fuel sources like oil and gas, it doesn’t sit well with us.” Bulkhead told her. “Imagine dumping sugar into a car engine.”

 “Or drinking processed hephaestium.” Wheeljack muttered.

 Wheeljack winced at that thought. He tried creating a new form of energon out of processed hephaestium and taste tested the multi-colored drink himself. The results were…less than pleasant. His memory of the incident was still a bit hazy, but according to Ratchet, he was spewing flames from every opening in his armor like he was overheating and he was talking so fast that his vocoder almost shorted out. And according to Arcee, he tried to pass through objects by running into them very hard. That wasn’t even two months into their stay on Terra.

 “We’ve been mining energon on Terra for the entire year we were here; see how this planet’s able to grow the little things. Despite the Cons being here longer than us, there are tons of untouched deposits just sitting out there, ripe for the taking.” Bulkhead said.

 “You ever thought about using hephaestium to power the Ark instead of energon to save more?” Annie suggested.

 “That’s a work in progress.” Wheeljack said. “I still need time to make sure it’s compatible with the Ark’s systems before shoving tons of hephaestium into the engines.”

 “That’s cool.” Annie smiled “You can’t get through life without taking a few risks, right?”

 “Wrong.” They looked up to see Prowl marching toward them with his signature frown on his face. “Taking unnecessary risks will only lead to disaster for all parties involved.”

 He set his eyes on Wheeljack, who was expecting the hard stare from the black and white tactician. “Wheeljack, bear in mind that if you’re wrong, you could risk severely damaging the Ark’s systems beyond repair and setting us back in a very dangerous situation.”

 “I’m well aware of that, Prowl.” Wheeljack sighed.

 Prowl then set his eyes on Bulkhead. “Bulkhead, I shouldn’t have to remind you that you are forbidden from telling a native of our technology and science. That’s against protocol and the Tyrest Accord.”

 “Yes, Prowl.” Bulkhead said. Prowl gave Annie a look, which she returned without hesitation. He sniffed and passed them to walk further down the hall.

 “Who shit in his cornflakes?” Annie sneered at Prowl’s back, jerking a thumb at him.

 “Don’t take it personally. Prowl’s a bit of a stickler for rules and regulations, but not as much as Ultra Magnus. He’s a hard ass, but he means well.” Bulkhead said.

 “A bit?” Annie said.

 “That’s just how he is. He takes his job a bit too seriously and it grinds some of the others’ gears.” Wheeljack said.

 “Doesn’t mean he has to be an asshole about it.” She muttered.

 Of all the Autobots, Prowl seemed to be the only one who was against allowing the children access to the Ark. he somehow managed to display a stoic hostility towards them while keeping his professional attitude. To Prowl, the children were a security risk and a liability, a distraction keeping the team from focusing on their jobs. He would constantly talk to Optimus about keeping the kids in containment during their visits for security reasons and Optimus would always deny him. These discussions always ended with both mechs glaring at each other like male lions.

 “Yo, Jackie!” Jazz strolled up to the engineer and swung an arm around his shoulders. “How’s it hangin’?”

 “Whatever it is, Jazz, no.” Wheeljack said.

 “But I didn’t say anything.”

 “You don’t need to. I can tell I’m not going to like it.”

 “Well, this is important. Teletran just detected another Minicon and you’ve just volunteered to be my partner on this mission.” Jazz grinned. Wheeljack groaned.

 “Jazz, I’m busy with my work, and they-“

 “Can wait. Those death machines of yours will still be here when you get back. Liftor can watch over thins until you get back.” Jazz dragged Wheeljack away from Annie and Bulkhead, leaving the duo alone.

 “That was random.” Annie hummed.

 “Yup,” Bulkhead agreed. He gave his little companion a grin. “You wanna do some off-roading?”

 “Hell yeah!” She grinned.

XXXXXX

 Thundercracker was afraid of very few things in life. Why be afraid of enemies bound to earth when he ruled the skies with his brothers and sisters? That’s not to say that he was entirely fearless; there was that time when he was stuck on a moon with Sunstorm infested with Scraplets, that time he was stuck on a planet full of green skinned giants who thought he was a toy (Slipstream had a good laugh out of that one), but nothing compared to the fear of pissing Megatron off, which was ironic considering his commander made a career out of doing just that.

 “For the record guys, if Megatron finds out about this, I’m selling you two out.” Thundercracker reminded his comrades as he loaded another energon cube into the crate.

 The Seeker trio was inside an energon cave that still remained off the grid (thanks in part to Knockout’s efforts). None of the other Cons knew about this largely untouched mine, and thus it served as the Seekers’ personal stash. Starscream assured his team that Megatron would never find out about this, and though Skywarp trusted his commander’s decisions completely, Thundercracker still had some reservations that he had no problem making known.

 “Megatron won’t know a thing, Thundercracker,” Starscream said, giving the blue Seeker a glare. “So long as you keep your mouth shut.”

 “Yeah, chill out, Thundercracker. Even Soundwave and his pets won’t be able to find us with all this energon masking out signals.” Skywarp said. “We’re safe!”

 Thundercracker could only give a little grunt in response. As a Seeker of Vos, he was taught from birth that the Seekers looked after themselves and were loyal only to each other. As a group, they did not adhere to one person, even to Megatron to a certain extent. This load of absolute loyalty is the only reason he was still associating himself with these morons. Sure, the last Seeker commander was a nutcase, but at least she was somewhat competent…not entirely sane, but still competent.

 Once they were done storing the energon cubes in one of the tunnels in the back of the cave, they left the mine and Starscream placed a Holomatter generator to clock the entrance. He made an annoyed grunt when he heard his comm beep.

 “What is it? I’m busy?” Starscream said rudely.

 “ _Even too busy for a Minicon, Starscream? That’s a shame, since I thought you’d jump at the chance to have one of your own.”_ Nightshade didn’t even try to hide the mockery in her voice.

 “What are you talking about?” Starscream asked. He was no in the mood to deal with her right now.

 “ _A stasis panel has been detected in eastern Emmeria, inside the Republic of Francois. Since you three are already out in the field, I figured you would want the honor of retrieving it. Give yourself a chance to wipe the stench of your earlier defeat clean.”_

_“_ Fine, I get it. We’ll be on our way.” Starscream grumbled and nodded to his team. But she wasn’t done yet.

 “ _One more thing. I don’t need to remind you not to draw attention to yourselves. Three jets flying over a city isn’t exactly a normal sight in Emmeria.”_

_“_ I know dammit! Don’t lecture me about protocol on my operation!”

 “ _Alright, but do try not to get your ass beat by a scout again, okay?”_ Nightshade said before signing off. Starscream gave a frustrated yell before shifting to jet mode and shooting into the sky with his Seekers.

 ‘When I get my Minicon, the first thing I’ll do is use my new power to scrap that glitch and her silent boy toy!’ Starscream thought angrily.

XXXXXX

 Rouen was one of the many popular cities in the country of the Francois republic. It was situated on top of a massive river known as the River Siene, which ran through the middle of the city. Much like many other cities in Francois, Rouen was truly beautiful to look at, and the view of the afternoon sunlight reflecting off the river was a glorious sight to see.

 “Jazz.”

 “Huh?” the Autobot, or rather his holo-avatar, looked back at Wheeljack.

 “Can we get on with the mission?” Wheeljack sighed. “We can sightsee another time.”

 “Relax, Wheeljack. No harm in sneakin’ little snapshots on the job.” Jazz looked back out to the river and sighed blissfully. “I got to take the kids here sometime in the future.”

 The pair were parked on a side street near the river in vehicle mode. Their holomatters were activated; Jazz’s avatar was a snazzy looking black man with sunglasses on and Wheeljack’s avatar was a rather average Caucasian man with who looked like he toiled around in a mechanics shop.

 “So, do you have a read on the panel’s location?” jazz asked.

 “I think so. It’s not in the city, but somewhere in the forests outside Rouen, just along the river.” Wheeljack said. “So long as we stay close to the river, we shouldn’t have any problems.”

 “Darn. Wanted to spend some time scouting the city.”

 “You call it scouting. I call it fooling around.” Wheeljack huffed. “Focus on the mission, Jazz. The Decepticons might already be on our tail.”

 “Relax, Jackie, we’ll get it. Now, let’s boogey. We’re losing daylight.”

 The avatars vanished as the two Autobots drove down the narrow cobblestone streets towards the outer parts of the city. It was going to be a long drive to their destination, but Jazz enjoyed any chance for some peace and quiet.

 High above the city, Starscream’s team flew at sub-sonic speeds towards the area where the stasis panel was located. Their scanners were on maximum output as they searched for the panel’s exact location.

 “Any sign of our quarry?” Starscream asked.

 “Nothing. The signal’s faint. It’s probably underground.” Thundercracker said. Starscream grunted in displeasure. He hated going underground; no room to maneuver. No room to fly.

 “Boss, I just caught sight of something you might want to see.” Skywarp said.

 “What is it?”

 “Two little Autobots scurrying along the ground like ants.” Skywarp chuckled. “Can we snuff ‘em out boss?”

 “Why not? I’m willing to indulge in a little game of hunt the Autobot.” Starscream replied. He needed to vent out his pent up frustrations.

XXXXXX

 Jazz and Wheeljack drove along the dirt path leading out of Rouen into the wilderness, making sure to stay near the river as much as possible. Things were quiet so far, and for Jazz, it wasn’t the ideal way to spend a mission. So he decided to liven things up a bit.

 “Let’s play a game to pass the time. I know one Annie taught me recently.” Jazz said. “It’s called I Spy.”

 “No.”

 “I spy with my little eye, something…green.”

 “Trees.” Wheeljack sighed.

 “Ding, ding! You got it~” Jazz laughed. This was definitely as much fun Annie said it would be. “Now you try me. Come on!”

 If Wheeljack could, he would’ve rolled his eyes. “I spy with my little eye, something…blue.”

 “The river!”

 “Ding, ding, you got it on the first try.” Wheeljack drawled, not sounding excited at all. Jazz’s enthusiasm could be tiresome sometimes. “Jazz, how much farther do we have to go?”

 “Just another mile or so. At our speed, we’ll be there in no time.” Jazz said. Something suddenly clicked in his mind and his keen instincts told him to glance upward, where he saw three objects diving towards them at high speeds. “Incoming!”

 They split apart to avoid the three missiles that hit the ground. Dirt and water flew everywhere as the riverbed went up in flames from the missile strike that almost destroyed the two Autobots. Jazz and Wheeljack shifted into their robot modes and took out their weapons. They saw a familiar red and silver jet fly low over them before transforming into a bipedal form and landed on solid ground.

 “Starscream. What a surprise to see you this fine afternoon. I take it that your cronies are somewhere nearby. You rarely go anywhere without them.” Jazz said idly, calmly pointing his photon rifle at Starscream’s head. “You here for the scenery?”

 “I don’t have time for your pointless chatter, Autobot.” Starscream growled. “I’m here to claim what is rightfully mine, and you two can’t stop me.”

 “I didn’t know you owned another being’s life.” Wheeljack said scathingly. Starscream smirked.

 “Everything in this galaxy belongs to me. The universe just doesn’t know it yet.” He said haughtily and extended his arm cannons. “Kill them, my brothers!”

 Skywarp materialized above the Autobots and attacked them, but Jazz and Wheeljack jumped apart. When they saw Thundercracker charging at them for a fight, they quickly chose their opponents; Jazz chose to fight Thundercracker, leaving Wheeljack with Skywarp. Starscream took the initiative as he sprinted at Jazz, extending his bayonets, and Jazz went to meet his challenge head on.

 Starscream spun around to slash his blades at Jazz’s head, but the Autobot ducked under his blades and leapt up, slamming his knee into his face. Starscream stumbled back but recovered quickly, blocking a kick sent at his head and punching Jazz to the ground. Jazz hit the ground but spun his legs around in a whirlwind kick that knocked back Starscream and Thundercracker. The red Seeker fired his cannons at Jazz’s feet, and the Autobot backpedaled into Thundercracker’s range, who proceeded to assault Jazz with a flurry of surprisingly skillful sword attacks that kept him on his toes.

 “You’re really good.” Jazz commented, blocking a kick. “You practice?”

 “When you live with the mechs on my team, you learn a thing or two.” Thundercracker replied and leapt back. “Like this!”

 Thundercracker clapped his hands and sent a powerful sonic boom that reverberated throughout the forest. It was like thunder, and any animals that weren’t yet scared by the fighting were chased off by the sonic boom, and the brunt of his was directed at Jazz. Jazz positioned his body in such a way that he wouldn’t be seriously hurt by the sonic attack, but even then it hit him with great concussive force, blasting him off his feet. Starscream boosted in his direction and Jazz forced his body to ignore the pain to spin around in mid-flight and kick Starscream out of his way before the Seeker could impale him on his blade. He hit the ground on his back and rolled upright, only to get a pulse blast to the shoulder.

 “Shame I can’t say the same for you.” Thundercracker said with his smoking cannons pointed at Jazz.

 Meanwhile, Wheeljack was leading Skywarp on a wild chase into the forest. Trees were torn apart in showers of bark and leaves as Skywarp tried to gun down Wheeljack with his 55mm machine guns, and large clumps of dirt and rock were blown up by the occasional missile he fired at the Autobot. Skywarp couldn’t get a good lock on Wheeljack thanks to the trees and the thick canopy prevented him from flying lower to the ground, but he still managed to keep up a good pace.

 “Where do you think you’re going?” Skywarp taunted. He teleported in Wheeljack’s path and fired his cannons. They would’ve scored a direct hit on Wheeljack had they not passed through him. “Huh?”

 “Nowhere.” Wheeljack jumped down from the branch he was sitting on and landed on top of Skywarp’s jet form. Taking out a needle, Wheeljack injected something into Skywarp and jumped off.

 “You little glitch! I’m gonna-huh?” Skywarp tried to teleport, but all he managed was having his body fizzle slightly before returning to normal. “What the hell is this?”

 “A power dampener designed for outliers like you. I was getting sick of that particular magic trick and decided to do something about it. Thanks for being my guinea pig, I hadn’t really tested this thing out before.” Wheeljack said. Skywarp gritted his teeth but reigned in his anger.

 “Whatever, I don’t need my powers to scrap you! I still have my guns!” Skywarp growled. Wheeljack shrugged and raised his hands.

 “And I have mine.” His hands shifted into a pair of large blasters and fired them at Skywarp. The first few blasts took off chunks of Skywarp’s armor and he was forced into cover behind a tree.

 If there was one thing to be wary of when fighting Wheeljack, it’s his ingenuity. Wheeljack was always upgrading or creating new innovations, mostly weapons or custom made grenades that did everything other than explode. His blaster arms were just one of his main weapons that he rarely used for surprise effect, and it worked almost every time.

 Wheeljack cut his assault short to shift his right arm into another weapon-a solar energy whip. Pulling his arm back, he cracked the whip forward and it cut straight through the tree between him and Skywarp. Skywarp wasn’t expecting to be forced out into the open so soon, nor was he expecting the whip to hit him in the chest and send him sprawling. Cursing, he transformed to jet mode, but a rocket from one of Wheeljack’s shoulder launchers hit his left wing and knocked him into a tree.

 As if that wasn’t bad enough, the rocket wasn’t even a regular rocket, it was some shrapnel warhead that exploded on contact and riddled Skywarp with a rain of razor sharp filaments that tore into his armor painfully.

 “How many weapons do you fragging have?!” Skywarp shouted.

 Jazz was still fighting Starscream and Thundercracker, and despite the jokes he made about the Seekers, he would be hard pressed to say they were slackers when it came to combat. Starscream was very well at home with his blades, slashing at Jazz while Thundercracker would hang back a bit to fire at his with his canons. There was a level of cohesion between the two Seekers that Jazz didn’t expect from someone like Starscream, but Seekers had a habit of surprising you in the subtlest of ways. Even still, he wasn’t a cyber-ninja for nothing.

 Jazz ducked under an overhead kick from Thundercracker and grabbed his leg, spinning his body around to use momentum to grant him the strength to throw the larger mech into Starscream. It was only by dumb luck that Starscream didn’t accidentally skewer Thundercracker on his bayonets.

 “Get off me!” Starscream shoved Thundercracker off and glared at Jazz. “How the hell can he last so long against us? We outnumber him!”

 “He’s Prime’s cyber-ninja. Those guys can do some pretty freaky things.” Thundercracker said, getting to his feet. “But with any luck, Skywarp will be here to give us a helping hand.”

 Just as he said that, Skywarp came flying out of the forest covered in burns and bleeding cuts with hundreds of sharp metal fragments sticking out of his armor. He crashed into Thundercracker and they both hit the ground as Wheeljack jogged out after him. Seeing the sorry state his team was in, Starscream growled angrily and sheathed his blades.

 “Enough of this slag! I won’t be embarrassed by two Autobots!” Starscream raged. “You two, hold them off!”

 “While you do what?” Thundercracker growled. He wasn’t in the mood for Starscream to pull some disappearing act.

Starscream didn’t answer, which confirmed Thundercracker’s fears. The Seeker commander ignited his boosters and flew into the air, hovering over the clearing just over the treetops. He reached into his hip compartment and took out a spherical object while glaring down at the Autobots.

 “For you, Autobots, with love!” he grinned and threw the object down at them before transforming and flying away.

 Wheeljack was the first to realize what the object was and leapt at Jazz while activating his overshield. Seconds before he reached Jazz, there was a deafening boom, followed by a bright flash of light and then a heavy pressure wave slammed into him, and he blacked out before he hit the ground.

XXXXXX

Starscream followed the beacon to a small, barely noticeable cave entrance near the river that he almost missed had he not been so close to the ground. One would’ve completely overlooked the opening had they been traveling by land, as the waters near the area were choppy and violent. He landed in knee deep water and entered the cave, grimacing at how cold and wet the place was.

 “I hate this planet. If it isn’t a scorching hot desert, then it’s a freezing wasteland. I can’t wait to turn this rock into a smoldering husk.” Starscream grumbled.

 He traversed into the innermost cavern deeper inside the cave. With barely any light from outside, the caverns only light source came from the underwater hephaestium crystals that made the water glow faintly. Starscream’s eyes scanned the water, but he couldn’t find the tell tale glow of the stasis panel despite it being so close.

 ‘Where is it? That accursed trinket must be close by.’ Starscream thought. it was small enough to be held by a human child, so locating the panel would be a little difficulty with it being so small. But he wasn’t going to give up this far into the game.

 It took him a few minutes, but then he noticed the green glow coming from the water near the center of the cave. He jumped into the water and wadded toward the glowing object, grinning in victory as he saw the outline of the embedded in the rock.

 “Yes! It’s mine!” He exclaimed and ducked underwater. He fired his cannons and destroyed the rock holding it before snatching the panel up and resurfacing. “Finally! My own Minicon!”

 Starscream laughed triumphantly as he held up his prize and his grin widened further when he detected the unique signature coming from it. It was a Decepticon Minicon as well! What a grand day this turned out to be!

 The panel scanned his biosignature and dissolved to release the Minicon inside. Multicolored particles reformed into a physical shape and Starscream was given his first look at his new partner.

 The Minicon was small and angular with smooth, straight planes along his body, with an aerodynamic frame built for speed with little resistance. He was red with yellow eyes and a black face plate. His body was twitching sporadically like he was suffering from some kind of indefinite electrical surge, but his expression showed no discomfort. The Minicon looked up at the smirking Starscream and whistled.

 “Damn, you’re definitely not a pretty face to look up to.” He said.

 Starscream’s grin evaporated from his face in a heartbeat at the crass comment. “Show me respect, Minicon! I am your new master!”

 “Yeah, yeah, Decepticon superiority and all that.” The Minicon waved him off. “So…who are you again?”

 “Starscream, commander of the Seekers and future leader of the Decepticons.” He answered with a grumble. He would get stuck with a foul-mouthed little scraplet. “And you are?”

 “Grid’s the name, flyboy. And despite that ugly mug of yours, I can see you’re gonna be lots of fun.” Grid’s eyes glinted with a murderous gleam. “So who are we gonna kill today?”

XXXXXX

 “…ackie…Jackie…”

 “Please stop yelling.” Wheeljack groaned as he regained consciousness. His head was ringing like a church bell and his body ached like Omega Supreme punted him across the Hydrax Plateau. “Jazz…is that you?”

 “Hey, buddie.” Jazz smiled down at him. “How you feelin’?”

 “Like I got trampled by a herd of Thunderhooves.” Wheeljack replied and say up with some help from Jazz.

 “At least you’re doing better than those two.” Jazz nodded at the still unconscious Seekers just two feet from them. You save me from the brunt of the blast wave but those two were the first to get hit. Whatever Starscream hit us with took them out seconds before it did us.”

 “A concussion bomb. Those things are nasty if they hit you at close range.” Wheeljack said. “That two-step scraphead tried to flatten us without a care for his team.”

 “It’s Starscream, he has a reputation for screwing people over.” Jazz rolled his shoulders and looked around. “Speaking of cowardly assholes, where is that that scratchy voiced buffoon?”

 “At the panel’s location no doubt. We’ve got to catch up to him. Who knows how large a head start he has on us.” Wheeljack said.

 They transformed to vehicle mode and drove away from the ravaged riverside as fast as they could. It took them almost fifteen minutes to reach the cove by land, where they were forced to go on foot. Jazz, being flashy, sped off a slippery rock and leapt into the cave in a single bound, changing form in mid-air and hitting the water in a roll, stopping in a crouch with his photon rifle drawn. Wheeljack just grappled onto a rock and swung himself down into the cave.

 “Was that really necessary?” He asked.

 “I don’t know,” Jazz grinned. “You tell me.”

 They walked deeper into the cave, mindful of their surroundings. Wheeljack checked the scanner to see how close they were and was worried when he saw that the beacon was gone.

 “Jazz, I’m not seeing the panel’s signal anymore.” He said.

 “Damn. We’re too late.” Jazz said.

 “You’ve got that right, Autobot.”

 A red energy bolt shot through the air and hit Wheeljack in the chest. He was knocked backwards into a stalagmite and didn’t get up. Jazz ran over to him and found that his partner had been blasted into stasis lock, though the bolt only left a moderate burn on his chest. That was only one shot!

 He looked up and saw Starscream standing atop a stone pillar. His right arm had changed into a glowing red cannon crackling with energy, with a tiny black and red race car connected to his forearm-the Minicon!

 “How do you like my new toy?” Starscream laughed. “It’s a null ray. One shot will shut you down in a Spark pulse. Took your friend out in one short, and it was only at half power. I wonder what happens when I amp up the power output.”

 Jazz wasn’t going to let him get another shot off. He fired his grappling hook and pulled himself into the air just as Starscream fired a null blast at him. He twisted his body in the air and fired a few blasts from his photon rifle, not at Starscream but at the cave ceiling.

 “Your aim must be lacking.” Starscream laughed. He prepared to fire another null blast, but failed to notice the falling rocks until a large boulder hit him in the head. More boulders crashed onto him followed by a stalactite. He was knocked off his perch and hit the water, with the rocks pinning his large body halfway underwater. Jazz landed next to him and pointed his photon rifle at Starscream’s half submerged head.

 “You’re one to talk about poor aim.” Jazz quipped. He pulled the trigger but a missile flew out of the darkness and hit him in the shoulder. He staggered back from the projectile and rolled aside to avoid the second missile, clutching his damaged shoulder. Thundercracker and Skywarp appeared and dug up their leader.

 “You’re lucky we’re loyal to you or we would’ve let you drown you bastard.” Thundercracker growled. Starscream ignored him and glared at Jazz.

 “Until next time, Jazz!” Starscream said. Skywarp placed a hand on their shoulders and called upon his warping ability. In a bright purple flash, all three Cons were gone along with the Minicon.

 Jazz sighed and put his rifle away. Another Minicon lost to the Cons, Prowl was definitely not going to be happy about this. For a stone cold tactician who based his entire military career on logistics and probability, he was also a very sore loser. Turning to Wheeljack, he saw that the engineer was still out like a light from the null blast and would probably be like that for a few hours at least.

 “Well, Jackie,” Jazz said to his unconscious partner. “That turned out to be an eventful day.”

XXXXXX

 “So this is what the Nemesis looks like from the inside. Why is everything so purple? I mean, I know that’s our main color and everything with the whole purple insignia, but this dim lighting is an eyesore. How can anyone see in here, because holy slag I can barely see my fingers…”

 Starscream groaned as he was forced to listen to Grid’s constant chatter. With Knockout hard at work on fixing his wounds from earlier, he couldn’t move to another room or even smack the little freak unconscious. Skywarp and Thundercracker were in the CR chamber recovering from the internal damages they sustained from the concussion bomb. Knockout didn’t bother hiding his amusement at his patient’s discomfort.

 “You certainly know how to pick ‘em.” He remarked.

 “Shut up.” Starscream hissed. Grid paused and looked up at him.

 “Wait, are you tellin’ me to shut up, or him? Because I don’t appreciate being told to shut up by a guy who got his ass handed to him in a cave-“

 Starscream’s gnashed teeth caused sparks to fly as he forced himself not to murder the little git on the spot. “Would you just go to-“

 “Starscream.” Everyone quieted down upon seeing Nightshade enter the medibay. Starscream roughly pushed Knockout away and stood up with a grimace.

 “Nightshade, I have completed the mission with flying colors.” He said curtly. “This is my Minicon, Grid.”

 “So you finally won yourself a Minicon partner. Very good.” She said with a small nod.

 “It wasn’t that hard, really. I even managed to take out an Autobot with my new…partner.” The Seeker had to force the word out. “And I got him with my own two hands.”

 ‘Much more than you’ve ever done in this operation.’ He thought scathingly.

 “Yes, you took an Autobot out of the fight. But know that unless you see the light leave their eyes, they’ll keep coming back. You should know that by now. So unless you’ve blown a hole straight through their Spark core, the Autobot might still be alive. Wounded, but still alive, no matter how splendidly you did.” Nightshade said, not taking her eyes off him. “Don’t flatter yourself, Starscream. You won one battle; you didn’t defeat Unicron with your bare hands.”

 “B-But I fought off two Autobots and got the damn Minicon by myself!”

 “At the cost of not only incapacitating two of your subordinates on the field and abandoning them to go off on your own.” She replied. She walked forward slowly, like a predator getting into position to attack. “Thundercracker told me about that stunt you pulled with the concussion bomb. You left two of your mechs to the Autobots mercy, along and undefended.”

 “W-Well, you see…”

 “And you shouldn’t be bragging about victory considering the Autobot Jazz still managed to pin you under a boulder despite having no Minicon and Thundercracker and Skywarp had to bail you out!”

 Starscream could only stammer as Nightshade mercilessly tore his victory apart, verbally abusing him with words as sharp as a laser scalpel. Knockout stood off to the side watching it happen with his usual cocky grin. This was gold.

 “Megatron may condone the sacrificing of soldiers to complete the mission, but I will not,” Nightshade continued. She took out one of her black feathers and stabbed it into Starscream’s shoulder before twisting it in the wound painfully and bringing him to his knees. “Pull a stunt like that again and I will break every steel bone in your body before tossing you into the brig. I will not have you put valuable soldiers at risk just because of your damn superiority complex. Are we clear, Starscream?”

 “Y-yes, Nightshade.” Starscream whimpered in pain, trying not to scream from the searing pain in his shoulder. Of course she’d manage to stab a sensitive part of his armature!

 “Good.” Nightshade took the feather out and gave him a reprieve. She nodded to Knockout and left the medibay. Starscream seethed in anger and embarrassment as Grid walked up to him to watch her go. He then chose this moment to ask a very inappropriate question.

 “So…is she your ex or something?”

 

 


	6. Crawling in the Catacombs

Chapter 5-Crawling in the Catacombs

 Gina Harkins was not amused. All she wanted to do was have an exciting day with her friends in some small country halfway around the world. But all she had done so far was sit on a rock with Sureshock for 20 minutes outside the entrance to one of the most mysterious places in Emmeria-the Precht Catacombs.

 Named after the massive battle that had taken place within, the Precht Catacombs was originally an underground community that was built by a colony of the Ottoman Empire as an expansion project in 1370. This took place when the empire was facing rebellions across its territory, and an invading army of barbarians stormed the caves and clashed with the defending army in a furious battle that lasted almost seven days and nights, and in the end, no one came back out save for a few dozen soldiers on both sides. What exactly happened there was a mystery and people who investigated the caves over the ages tended to disappear. The cause of these disappearances was mainly speculation for the local authorities and the archeological community, and no one has been inside since then.

 Gina had always wanted to see those caves, but she never thought she’d actually get the chance, as her father definitely wasn’t going to take her there herself (and he hasn’t made contact with them in almost three years). But now that she was friends with a group of aliens who had instant transportation technology at their fingertips, she could go anywhere in the world and be back for dinner.

 She had originally planned to go with just Sureshock and Bumblebee, who stayed with her a lot these days as she was a walking encyclopedia of Terran knowledge, but Ratchet tagged along for reasons he had yet to explain to her. Which led to her waiting for Ratchet and Bumblebee to finish whatever the hell they came here to do so she could have some fun.

 “Gina, relax. Ratchet said that he won’t take too long. They’ll only be a few more minutes.” Sureshock said.

 “Sureshock, I don’t have time to relax. I’m only a few feet away from one of the most amazing exotic cities in the world and I can’t go in because Ratchet had to get first dibs on me. The surprise is totally ruined for me now!”

 The orange femme sighed. It amazed her at how Gina, though incredibly smart for her age, could act like a five year old when annoyed. Though she had to admit, it was one of the things she liked about the girl that made her unique. A bit overbearing, but unique nonetheless.

 Ratchet exited the cave with Bumblebee in tow, looking at his scanner with a serious expression.

 “Strange, I’m still getting these readings.” He muttered.

 “You sure the scanner isn’t acting glitch?” Bumblebee asked. The glare Ratchet sent him was an answer in itself.

 “What’s wrong guys?” Gina asked.

 “According to these readings, the cave has traces of energon in it.” Ratchet said.

 Gina and Sureshock traded surprised looks. Teletran-1 didn’t detect any energon in the area when it bridged them there, and they certainly didn’t detect any hidden veins upon arrival.

 “That is strange.” Sureshock nodded. Gina smiled.

 “And worth investigating.” She said.

 “No, Gina, this might be serious, and the last thing I need is Prowl interrupting my work to scold me for taking you into the field and showing I have a heart.” Ratchet said.

 “Ratchet, I waited a long time to see these catacombs and I am not going to let you or anyone else stop me from getting my fix! Now I am going in there to uncover ancient secrets whether you like it or not!” Gina screamed.

 The two Autobots looked down at the determined blonde, then at each other. Bumblebee only shrugged as if to say ‘she’s your charge, you deal with her’. The medic sighed and looked at Gina.

 “Fine, Gina, you can come along. But stay close and don’t-“

 “Touch anything. I know. I’m not Annie, Ratchet.” Gina smiled.

 Ratchet couldn’t keep the smile off his face and held out his hand. Gina stepped onto his palm and together they entered the cave first, leaving Bumblebee and Sureshock behind.

 “He spoils her too much.” Bumblebee remarked. He looked down and saw Sureshock glaring at him. “What’s with the face?”

 “And where were you in that conversation? You know I don’t want Gina hanging around potential battlefields and that includes energon mines.”

 “Don’t worry, Sureshock. Ratchet and I explore part of the cave where the signals were coming from and we found nothing, not even little energon crystals. I doubt there’s anything dangerous about this place save for a few loose rocks.” He said and walked into the tunnel. “Let’s catch up with them before we’re left behind and lose them.”

 Sureshock sighed and followed after Bumblebee. Honestly, was she the only one around here with common sense?

XXXXXX

 “Wow.” Gina whispered awestruck.

 The interior of the cave was massive-basically it was one large cavern hollowed out over the centuries and supported by a number of natural stone pillars. This cavern was connected to a number of tunnels that led deeper into the system. But the most eye-catching feature were the stone buildings built out from the cave walls, constructed in a similar style to Elladan architecture. Everything was old and word, with most of the buildings looking desolate from erosion and misuse. Even Ratchet had to admit that the adaptability of these people were amazing to have used stone for building materials.

 “What a strange way to live. With this settlement so deep inside the cavern, there’s no way for the people who lived here to get any sunlight, much less grow food here.” Ratchet said.

 “It wasn’t by choice. The people who lived here had to move in under the orders of their emperor. The entire village was conceived as an expansion project to cover as much territory as possible. The imperial court tested it with civilians before coming up with the concept of setting up military installations in remote areas such as this cave to better get the jump on the barbarian tribes that were giving them grief.” Gina said. Walking up to one of the houses made of irregularly shaped blocks, she ran her hand along the rough stone. “Of course, when a massive barbarian host arrived to attack this place, the cave became a tomb with no way out. You can guess the rest. Trying to build a community this far out in imperial territory was next to impossible, but they tried and managed, at least, for a time.”

 “That’s the thing, Gina. How were they able to make anything from this rock?” Ratchet asked. He glanced at the houses, noting how many of them were severely damaged or outright destroyed. From his understanding, the humans of that era didn’t have small scale weapons capable of causing such damage, so what caused such destruction?

 “Who knows? But that’s the fun of it. Finding out how these supposedly “primitive” people were capable of doing all this without modern tools.” She said smiling. Then she noticed they were two people short. “Where’s Bee and Sureshock?”

 Ratchet, upon realizing that their companions were nowhere to be found, looked around. “They must’ve gotten lost along the way. These tunnels are like a maze down here.”

 “That’s not good, Ratchet. It’s easy to lose your way down here without a map and there are some large animals that might give you some problems too.”

 “Animals? What animals?” Ratchet questioned, not liking the sound of that at all. Gina sheepishly cleared her throat and looked at her feet. “Gina…”

 “Well, I may have neglected to mention that there might be Gargoyles living in the caves. They’re a species of dragon that like to live in dark places like this.” She admitted.

 “You were planning to go into a cave home to a species of dragon known to be vicious toward humans with only Bumblebee and Sureshock as your protection?”

 “Gargoyles aren’t that hard to chase off. They live in the deeper parts of the cave in the lower levels. Just shine some light in their faces and they’ll scatter.” Gina said with a huff.”

 “Gina, you make protecting you a very difficult thing to do, you know that?” Ratchet sighed and called Bumblebee. “Bee, its Ratchet. Can you read me?”

XXXXXX

 Bumblebee and Sureshock entered another cavern somewhere else in the caves. Unlike the cavern Gina and Ratchet were in, this cave was harbored a fair amount of naturally glowing hephaestium crystals embedded in the walls.

 “This place is a little ominous.” Bumblebee muttered. Sureshock looked around nervously.

 “Bee, where are they? I thought we would’ve run into them by now.” She said.

 “Maybe we took a wrong turn at that fork back there. Probably should’ve stuck close to them at the start.” Bumblebee said and shrugged. “Oh well, since we’re here, we can look into that energon signal we detected earlier.”

 “Excuse me! Did you forget that our friends are missing in a cave that could be home to dangerous beasts that like munching on little girls and old Autobots?” Sureshock exclaimed.

 “Sureshock, trust me. Gina’s a big girl who knows when to run and Ratchet is no slouch when it comes to defending himself. And we have our own job to do here as well, so please work with me on this, okay?”

 Sureshock vented and turned away from him, making Bumblebee sigh. He knew she was a bit over protective of Gina, but she really needed to let loose every once in a while.

 “Look, will it help if I call them and see how they’re doing?” He asked.

 “Maybe.” She answered.

 Bumblebee called up Ratchet on his comm, but he only got static in his audials. “Ratchet? Ratchet, you read me?”

 “What’s wrong?”

 “No reply. I can’t get a proper signal down here.” He said. He looked around at the rocks and crystals around them. “Must be the mineral composition.”

 “Seriously, Bee, we should go find them.”

 “Relax, they’ll be fine. Have some faith in their survival skills.” Bumblebee told her. There was no point in worrying about their friends when they were probably in more need of assistance than them. “Now, help e get some samples for Ratchet. He might be able to make sense of this place.”

 Sureshock groaned and moved to climb on top of an eroded boulder. She really hoped that things went well, because she had a bad feeling about this place.

XXXXXX

 Ratchet hummed as he studied the deep claw marks in the ground near the village. The markings were obviously not natural; something made them, something strong enough to cut through solid stone with ease judging from the relatively smooth gouges. He looked at the rest of the area he was in; this part of the village was practically demolished, with little of the houses remaining. In fact, it looked like the aftermath of a battle between Bots and Cons.

 “Something wrong, Ratchet?” Gina asked.

 “Gina, you said that two armies fought down here in the past, right?” He inquired.

 “Yeah, the stories make it out to be a massacre.”

 “What were the chances of them being able to wheel artillery here?”

 “Nill. The cavern is too small for catapults, so I highly doubt it.” Gina saw the troubled look on his face. “What did you find out?”

 “This part of the cave looks like it was hit by something big. There are craters and claw marks that aren’t present in other parts of the village.” Ratchet explained. “It’s as if a large scale battle had gone down here, but there aren’t any human remains lying around. Is there an animal that lives in caves that’s strong enough to cut through stone?”

 “That’s a good question, but I don’t have an answer for that.” Gina answered. She went deeper into the battle scarred part of the cave and looked out with pursed lips. “I imagine that something did happen down here that we didn’t know about. Remember, Ratchet, everything people know about this place is mostly speculat-oh!”

 Gina yelped as she tripped over something and fell face first into the ground, knocking her glasses off. Ratchet ran over to her.

 “Are you okay, Gina?”

 “I’m fine.” She said and felt around for her glass. She found them next to something that felt like cloth and put them on, leaning back onto her knees. “What did I trip over? There’s barely anything on the grou-ahhh!”

 Gina screamed upon seeing a skeletal human hand sticking out of the dirt. She fell back on her behind and screambled back until her back hit Ratchet’s leg.

 “Calm down, Gina, it’s just a hand.” Ratchet said. He shined his headlights on the ground and frowned. “What is a skeleton doing here, though?”

 Gina looked further up the rugged pathway and gulped. “R-Ratchet?”

 “Yes?”

 She pointed ahead and Ratchet followed her shaking finger to a rather gruesome sight. Bones. Bones littered the ravaged village. Some were fully intact skeletons while others were broken apart, either smashed or shattered like splintered wood. Ratchet quietly swore.

 “Primus above, what is this?”

 “It’s…the remains of the soldiers who fought down here.” Gina said, calming herself with a few deep breathes. She hummed in thought as she noticed something curious. “Huh, for bones that are a few centuries old, they look to be in surprisingly good condition.”

 Ratchet leaned down over the bones. The panel on his right arm flipped open and he ran some scans over the remains. After studying the readings he got back, Ratchet’s face turned dark.

 “Gina, these remains aren’t centuries old,” He said. “They’re a few months old. These people were killed just recently.”

 “What? But how’s that possible?” She questioned. Looking down, she noticed a piece of torn cloth on one of the bony arms and pulled it off.

 It was a sleeve from a military uniform. It was dark red with the symbol of a hammer and a star in the background. The symbol of the Yuktobanian military.

 “This belongs to a soldier from Yuktobania, and I’m guessing most of these guys are soldiers.” Gina didn’t feel so confident as she was a few minutes ago. Were any of these skeletons even from the Ottoman Empire? “Ratchet, I think I might have fragged up.”

 “Don’t worry,” Ratchet picked her up and held her in his hand. “We’re going to find Bee and Sureshock and the-“

 A loud metallic howl rattled the cave and Ratchet was rammed from behind by something large. Holding Gina close to keep her from getting crushed, he tucked himself into a roll and back up against one of the stalagmites. The attacker, cloaked in shadows, gave a painfully loud hiss and charged at him. Ratchet’s body reshaped into his alt mode, dumping Gina into his seat before driving back in reverse. Sick of running away from this beast in the dark, Ratchet switched on his headlights to get a good look at their attacker.

 To his surprise, it was a cybertronian, but not a normal one. This mechanoid was larger, sporting a hunched over hulking form with dark green and black armor, with powerful limbs and a face consisting of a red visor and a gaping mouth full of sharp teeth grinding together.

 “What the hell is that thing?!” Gina screamed.

 “An Insecticon!”

 “A what?”

 “Indigenous wildlife from Cybertron’s underground network. They were used as beasts of burden back on the War for Cybertron, so I’m really confused as to why there’s one here on Terra!” Ratchet said. When the Insecticon roared and increased its speed, he revved up his engine. “Hang on, Gina!”

 Sitting inside of an Autobot while he was transforming was one of the strangest things Gina had ever experienced. Seeing ordinary parts shift and twist around her was a fascinating but terrifying sight when at the center of this twisting mass of metal. She found herself in Ratchet’s hand again as he delivered a strong kick to the Insecticon’s chest. The drone hissed and started firing laser bolts from its arms.

 ‘Definitely not natural if it has built-in weapons.’ Ratchet thought. He shielded Gina from the lasers and fired back with his pistol. The laser bolts knocked the Insecticon’s arm upward while it was still firing, and its blasts hit the cave ceiling. When a stray bolt hit a large stalactite, the beam dislodged it and caused it to fall.

 “Scrap!” Ratchet switched to vehicle mode and shifted back to vehicle mode, moving back in reverse from the Insecticon. It tried to give chase, but the stalactite crashed right on top of it, digging into the ground and causing it to break apart.

 Ratchet tried to drive away, but the ground was falling away too quickly. Ratchet and Gina were unable to get away as the ground fell away under them and they fell into the dark abyss.

XXXXXX

 “What’s going on?” Sureshock asked as the cave around them began to rumble and shake.

 The reverberations from the main cavern spread to the cave Bumblebee and Sureshock were in, causing the cave’s structural integrity to become unstable. Large chunks of rocks began to fall from the ceiling and walls and the scout snatched up Sureshock to keep her safe from falling rocks.

 “It’s a cavein! We have to go!”

 “But what about Gina and Ratchet?” Sureshock said. “They’re in trouble!”

 “They won’t have a prayer if we’re taken out too!” Bumblebee said.

 When the stalactites began falling on them, Bumblebee took this as their sign to leave. He transformed and put the pedal to the metal, driving at full speed while swerving to avoid the raining boulders that could easily bury a mech of his size.

 Just then, a large boulder slammed near his rear bumper and threw him out of control. His tires skidded across the ground as he tried to regain control, but he lost traction and tumbled over in a roll. Switching modes as fast as he could, Bumblebee leapt through the cave entrance with Sureshock in his hands. They both crashed into a wall and their vision was obscured by a thick cloud of dust and dirt.

XXXXXX

 Gina groaned as she regained consciousness. She hit her head on Ratchet’s steering wheel in the all and now she had a small cut above her right eyebrow. Looking out the window, she saw that they were in a completely different part of the cavern, surrounded by rocks with little space for a giant robot to properly move. “Ratchet…are you okay?”

 “Yes, I’m unharmed, save for a few dents.” He replied, sounding a bit hoarse from falling such a long distance with heavy rocks crashing down on him. He quickly noticed Gina’s injury. “You’re injured.”

 “I’m fine, Ratchet. It’s just-hey!”

 Ratchet’s Holomatter avatar, a middle age man with short blonde hair dressed in a paramedic’s uniform, manifested in the passenger seat and began rubbing alcohol (which he got from Gaia knows where) into her cut, making it sting. She hissed a bit and he rolled his eyes.

 “Don’t be a baby, I’m a medic. It’s my job to care for your well being.” He said calmly. Gina knew better than to refute him.

 “Do you know how far we fell?” She asked, wincing a bit from another sting.

 “No, but I believe that the insecticon is gone. For now at least.” Ratchet said. “However, I’m still worried.”

 “But…it’s dead right? What’s there to be worried about?”

 “Most liely, but the question remains how it came to be here in the first place. Let alone if they’re any more drones roaming these caves. Insecticons are hive creatures-they never travel alone.”

 Gina bit her lip in worry as Ratchet placed a bandage over her brow. She went for her phone, but Ratchet stopped her.

 “Don’t bother. We’re too far down to get a signal.”

 “Not even to call Bee and Sureshock? Maybe they’re close enough for a signal to get through.” Gina said, but her face fell when Ratchet shook his head. “They’re in trouble, Ratchet. They don’t know about the Insecticons.”

 “The mineral composition in this cave scrambles my comm, but I have another idea. Could you get out, please?”

 Gina hopped out to allow Ratchet to shift into his robot mode, knocking his head on the low ceiling above him. The cave they fell into was smaller and he had to bend low to move slightly. Ratchet pressed the Autobot symbol on his chest, making it beep.

 “What’s that?”

 “A distress beacon. Similar to the emergency pulsewave the Minicon escape pod had. It’ll hopefully transmit our location and can be detected even where normal communication equipment won’t work.”

 “So we have to wait here for them to find us?”

 Ratchet collapsed back into vehicle mode and allowed Gina back in. “Who says we have to wait?”

XXXXXX

 Bumblebee was the first to come back online, and the first thing he noticed was that he was stuck in robot mode with a heavy weight on his chest. Craning his head, he saw that a large boulder was sitting on his chest. He pushed it off him with a grunt of effort. Coughing a bit to get the dust from his intakes, Bumblebee looked around for Sureshock.

 “Sureshock, where are you?” He called out. Losing a Minicon in this situation was dangerous, especially after a cave in. When he didn’t get a reply, he grew worried. “Sureshock, answer me! Are you okay?”

 “B-Bee…”

 His audials honed in on the faint sound and he crawled over to a pile of rocks, where he saw a small orange hand sticking out. He cursed and quickly dug her out and cradled her in his hands. She was still in one piece, but her left side was partially crushed and he could see that her left arm and leg were out of commission, but he was glad she was okay for the most part.

 “Sureshock, how are you feeling?” He asked. Sureshock’s eyes dimmed a bit before she groaned.

 “I’m not in too much pain. I shut off the neural circuits in my arm and leg when the rocks came down on me.” She said weakly. “Problem is that I can’t really move all that much.”

 “Don’t move. I’ll try to find Ratchet and Gina. Doc can help you.” Bumblebee said, trying to stay calm for her sake. This wasn’t how he wanted this trip to go at all. He really hoped the others were okay. That was when he noticed his Autobrand was beeping. “Huh?”

 “What’s that?”

 “My Autobrand is going off. Ratchet must be sending out a distress signal, which means that he and Gina are alright. We can still find them!” The scout smiled and looked down at the Minicon. “Don’t worry, Sureshock, you’re going to be alright.”

 He looked down the tunnel and was glad to see that the way was still clear aside from a few boulders in their path. He glanced down at Sureshock and saw that she was still. She wasn’t dead, only in stasis, but that meant that she was conserving energy. Her injuries were probably more severe than he thought. He needed to get out of here before something else happened. But that also meant possibly leaving Ratchet and Gina in danger longer than he would’ve wanted.

 “Sorry guys, but Sureshock needs help first.” Bumblebee muttered, looking down at the Minicon. “You may not like it, Sureshock, but Gina will kill me if anything happened to you.”

 He shifted to his car mode and deposited Sureshock into his back seat. Bumblebee drove down the tunnel, squeezing through the tight paths his way. He hoped that the way back was still clear at least, or things were going to get difficult for everyone here.

XXXXXX

 “With the beacon active, all we have to do is get into a better position for Bumblebee and Sureshock to extract us.” Ratchet said. He drove away from their landing point into an area with more space to make it easier for their friends to find them. “It’s not much, but it’s the best chance we have at getting out of here.”

 “As long as they’re safe, I can rest easy.” Gina said, leaning back in her seat. “So these Insecticons…they’re like cybertronian wildlife?”

 “They’re vermin, in the simplest of terms. The Insecticons have lived in Cybertron’s underground network for most of their lives until the war, in which the degradation of the planet’s ecosystem forced them onto the surface and led them to attack everything in sight.” He informed her. “I don’t know how he did it, but Megatron managed to coerce them to his side and the Cons weaponized them-turned them into living weapons akin to drones.”

 “But if they’re native to Cybertron, what are they doing down here on Terra? Did Megatron bring them here?”

 “That’s a good question. One I have no answer to, like the existence of energon on this planet. Though, I must say that this can’t be a coincidence. Hives are usually used by Decepticon high command if they want to guard something valuable.”

 “The energon.” Gina said.

 “Or something worse.” Ratchet said ominously.

 “Do you think that we’ll run into another Insecticon?”

 “Most likely. If there is a hive down here, then it’s being led by an alpha, the strongest and smartest.”

 Dread filled Gina’s heart. “You don’t think those people back in the village…they were killed by them, do you?”

 “I’m afraid so, Gina. Judging from the bones, they’ve been here for a while now.”

 Gina groaned and slumped back in her seat. She came here to do some historical research and to have a good time with her friends, but instead she got them all trapped in a cave inhabited by giant man-eating robot insects literally bred to kill. What a day this turned out to be.

 Then she made another mistake-one worthy of a scolding from Annie. “At least it can’t get any worse.”

 No sooner than she said that, Ratchet was hit in the front by an energy bolt that caused him to flip over. He transformed and held her in his arms as he crashed on his back, his chest smoking. He drew his blaster and leveled it at his attacker.

 “I was hoping to take you two out in one shot, but it seems I got a bit cocky.”

 A large creature landed on the ground, kicking up dust. It looked like a giant robotic rhinocerous beetle, but it had light green armor and a long, curved horn that looked tougher than steel. Another Insecticon.

 “Who are you?” Ratchet demanded.

 “You may call me Venom, the alpha of this hive of mine.” Venom said, stalking towards his prey. “But for now, you may also know me as your executioner.”

XXXXXX

 Bumblebee gave a grunt as he pushed apart the wall of boulders, jumping back to avoid the falling rocks tumbling down. When he felt the cool evening air, he knew he was free at last. It was almost sundown; they had been in that cave far longer than they intended.

 “Bee? What’s with all the noise?” Sureshock asked weakly.

 “We made it out, Sureshock. Took me a while, but I managed to dig us out.” He said.

 “But what about-?”

 “Don’t worry. I’m going back to get the others. Ratchet sent me a distress signal so he and Gina should be alri-“

 An explosion boomed from inside the cave, surprising Bumblebee and Sureshock. Another one went off seconds later, followed by a loud, bestial howl.

 “That doesn’t sound good.” Sureshock noted. Bumblebee frowned and placed her down on a boulder. “What are you doing?”

 “My job.” Bumblebee said and ran back into the cave.

XXXXXX

 Gina was hiding behind a boulder as Ratchet fought the Insecticon warrior. Despite his average combat skills, Venom was a much more fearsome warrior with savage strength and surprising speed. Ratchet couldn’t land a blow more devastating than a punch before Venom backhanded him into the wall. The sight of her friend getting trounced made Gina wince.

 ‘Come on, Ratchet. Don’t let a giant bug beat you.’ Gina prayed.

 Ratchet rubbed his sore chin and rolled to the side to avoid getting impaled by Venom’s large horn. The Insecticon’s chitterling mandibles let out a spine tingling sound as he laughed at his foe’s weakness.

 “What a day this has been. I was hoping to get a taste of the yellow one and that orange slag, but then I saw you two. It’s been so long since I ate a human.” Venom said, slowly circling Ratchet. “I see you’ve found my leftovers.”

 “We have. You’re a messy eater.” Ratchet growled.

 “Humans taste good, but their bones are annoying. Those things are only good for picking the flesh from my teeth. But here is an Autobot to sate my hunger, there really must be a god after all.”

 “Oh do shut up. I’ve faced more horrific things in my career than a stranded Insecticon with a taste for organics.” Ratchet said. “I’m not afraid of you.”

 “You will be.”

 Venom lunged at Ratchet. Jumping aside to dodge Venom’s charge, Ratchet shifted his hand into his laser scalpel. He grabbed onto Venom’s back and stabbed the scalpel into the spot where his shoulder joint was. Venom roared in pain as a medical instrument used to save lives was being used to carve him up. Ratchet tried to deal as much damage as possible to Venom’s body, but he was thrown off the alpha’s back and onto the ground.

 “V-very good.” Venom grunted. He went into his robot mode, his hulking emerald form trembling in rage with his two red eyes gleaming dangerously. His mouth plate slid apart to reveal a grinning maw of sharp, bloodstained teeth.

 He rushed the medic and punched him in the face, followed with a kick to his chest and slammed his fists down on his back. Without giving Ratchet time to recover, Venom gripped the medic by his neck and threw him three feet across the cavern.

 “Get up, Ratchet!” Gina shouted. Her heart was pounding as she watched her friend get thrashed around like a ragdoll.

 Ratchet tried to get up, but the pummeling he just received had his body screaming in pain. He looked up to see Venom stomping towards him, teeth grinding together to make an ear-shattering sound akin to nails on a chalkboard. The mad look in his beady red eyes and the grin he sported made Ratchet think that this had to be one of the most unnerving individuals he ever met.

 “You put up a valiant effort, but you’re no warrior. You are prey, and you shall die a prey’s death!” Venom opened his jaws and reached for Ratchet, but a rock hit the side of his head. “Huh?”

 He looked to the side and saw Gina standing not too far from them. She was trembling in fear, but that didn’t stop her from throwing another rock at his head. The tiny stones hitting his armor were like snowflakes on a support beam, they were barely worth noting, but the fact that this tiny creature had the nerve to attack him like she was his equal enraged Venom. And when he was angry, people died.

 “You filthy little animal!” He roared and pushed Ratchet aside. “I’LL KILL YOU JUST LIKE I DID TO THE REST OF YOUR PATHETIC BRETHEREN!!!”

 “GINA!” Ratchet tried to stop Venom, but the Insecticon kicked him away and ran at the terrified human child. Gina fell back and screamed, shutting her eyes.

 There was a loud bang and the sound of high-pitched screams. Gina opened her eyes when she realized she was still alive and looked up to see that Venom was sporting a large hole in his shoulder. His arm was hanging by only a few cables, and he was on his knees wailing in pain. Ratchet looked up and saw Bumblebee grinning down at them.

 “Hey guys!”

 “Bee/Bumblebee!” Gina and Ratchet exclaimed.

 Bumblebee dropped a rescue line to them. “Grab the rope before fangle fangs gets his slag together.”

 Ratchet snatched Gina up and grabbed the rope. The scout began towing them up the line, but their rescue was interrupted when an enraged Venom flew at them in his beast mode.

 “YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME! NO ONE ENTERS MY CAVE AND LIVES TO SEE THE SUN!”

 Venom prepared to fire a photon blast from his horn, but an EMP grenade tossed down at him hit him in the face and exploded, releasing a surge of EMP waves along his body, causing him to seize up and fall to the ground.

 “You’re gonna have to wait for another meal, bozo!” Bumblebee yelled.

 Venom hit the ground and reverted to robot mode, glaring up at the fleeing Autobots. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t even feel his limbs, but the hatred in his eyes was visible. Using what little strength he had, Venom let out a roar that echoed throughout the cave and into the outside world for all to hear.

 “I’ll kill you doctor. You and your human pet are mine to devour. No one gets away with humiliating an Insecticon alpha! NO ONE!”

XXXXXX

Gina sat next to Sureshock as Ratchet worked on her. Bumblebee stood guard near the cave entrance in case any unwanted visitors decided to get some fresh air.

 “How is she, Ratchet?” Gina asked softly. Ratchet ran his arc welder along Sureshock’s torso and damaged arm to seal her damaged armor before glancing at her.

 “She’s not in any immediate danger, if you’re still worried about that. She’ll need some time in the medibay for a day or two before she can move again.” He said. “But otherwise, she’ll make a full recover.”

 “That’s good.” Gina muttered before she started sniffling. Ratchet and Bumblebee looked at her concerned.

 “Gina, what’s wrong? Sureshock’s going to be fine.” Bumblebee said.

 “I know, it’s just…none of this would’ve happened if I wasn’t so damn persistent in going into that stupid cave. I almost got all of us killed!” She cried.

 “Gina, look at me.” Ratchet told her. She looked up at him, and he gave her a soft smile. “None of this is your fault. You could not have predicted this. What matters is that we’re safe and sound.”

 “Yeah, there’s no need to cry. Just be glad we made it out of there. And think of this as a lesson to be more careful in the future, okay?” Bumblebee smiled.

 “O-okay.” Gina nodded and gave them a watery smile.

 Ratchet looked at the cave and walked over to the entrance. Even though they made it out, there was still no guarantee that more people won’t make the same mistake they made today. It didn’t take long to find a solution to that particular problem.

 “Bee, can you hand me your grenade?”

 The scout obliged his request, and he and Gina watched Ratchet toss the explosive device into the cave. It detonated and the explosion caused the entrance to crumble, blocking the tunnel with a pile of large rocks. The ruins of Precht were sealed off from the outside world forever.

 “Now no one will meet the same fate as those poor souls inside.” Ratchet said solemnly. “Let’s go home.”

 “I hear you on that.” bumblebee sighed.

 They went into vehicle mode, and Gina helped load Sureshock into Ratchet before hopping in with her. The Autobots drove away from the darkening forest and went on their way home.

 

 


	7. Divide and Conquer

Chapter 6-Divide and Conquer

 “Though little historical records can be found of what human society is like during the Age of Wonders, historians have managed to find evidence of religious ceremonies practiced by the remnants of the Arians during this time of turmoil. Depictions of two sister goddesses were most evident, each goddess representing the sun and moon. Translations of the Arian language suggest that these two deities were the matron figures of two major clans that survived the fall of the Arian Empire, the Lumen and the Umbra clans.” Ms. Masters explained. “Though there are no records of these goddesses names, it is known that they were revered greatly throughout the Age of Wonders, possibly seen as creators and protectors. Some scriptures even stated that they commanded a host of angels made of stone with crystal hearts that enforced order through the world. Such beliefs…”

 Annie tried to keep her eyes open. She really did, but sitting still through such long periods was not her forte. Her eyes were beginning to drop once again when she felt Gina nudge her in the side.

 “Come on, Annie, focus.” Gina whispered. She was getting tired of trying to keep her friend awake every two minutes. Didn’t this girl get any sleep last night?

 “Sorry.” Annie said honestly. She didn’t like annoying Gina, but she was an active girl by nature. Stuff like this bored the crap out of her.

 She was already drifting off again when the school bell rang, making her jump in her seat. The other kids snickered, but they quickly shut up when she gave them a death glare.

 “All right kids, class dismissed. And don’t forget to read up on Arian culture for tomorrow’s pop quiz. It’s only hard if you don’t study for it.”

 Her words were only partially heeded as the kids filed out of the classroom, eager to stretch their legs and give their weary minds a brief respite. Gina and Annie were the first ones out of the room and they were glad the busy day was over, but for different reasons.

 “God, that was torture. Why is history so boring to listen to?” Annie yawned, stretching her stiff back and arms.

 “It’s only boring if the person explaining it doesn’t make it interesting. History in general is fun if you look at it from a certain viewpoint.” Gina said, shrugging. “Also, you’re just too lazy to pay attention.”

 “Good point.” Annie replied.

 “And I should also mention that this stuff is important in regards to the Minicons. A lot of them might be hidden in those “dusty old books” as you call them.” Gina said.

 The girls conversed all the way to Annie’s locker, where the girl popped it open to dump all her books inside before taking the transformed Grindor out. Gina was waiting patiently for Darren when she was greeted by a less than pleasant acquaintance.

 “Hello Gina. Fancy running into you here.”

 Gina’s brow twitched at the annoyingly snarky voice and faced the speaker. “Hello, Penny.” She replied in a fake polite tone.

 Penelope Pincer, known as Penny to her peers, was Gina’s self-proclaimed “rival” in their shared interests of science and archaeology. She was only a few months older than Gina, with dark skin, amber gold eyes and long black hair with an orange streak running through it. She came from a family born into money, though Penny mainly used her inheritance in her pursuit of science and technology, namely creating new machines she could show off to her peers and rub in Gina’s face. To many people, Penny might be one of the few capable of matching Gina in terms of intelligence, and their fights led to the usually smart girls acting like angry five year olds duking it out in the sandbox.

 “What do you want, Penny. It’s been a long day and I am not in the mood for your crap.” Gina growled.

 “What? I can’t say hello to my best friend in the whole wide world?” Penny said in fake sadness, already loving how easy it was to rile the blonde up.

 “I’m not your best friend. We’re not even friends in the general definition of the term, Penny. And where’s your boyfriend? I thought you never let him out of your sight?”

 “He’s not my boyfriend!” Penny snapped before calming down a little. “And Kevin’s at basketball practice. He’ll be with us shortly. Now, where’s your boy toy?”

 “Darren’s not my boy toy, he’s my partner in knowledgeable pursuits.” Gina replied with some sass. “Which is much more than I can say for your friend who happens to be a boy.”

 ‘Nice save.’ Annie thought. She never thought that watching two nerds go at it like male lions marking their territory could be this entertaining, but she made it a habit to get front row seats to watch Gina and Penny square off.

 Penny eyed the fancy looking skateboard in Annie’s hands and remembered the peculiar orange moped she saw Gina riding to school this morning. “I can’t help but notice that you two are sporting some very nice rides. What happened to those rugged junk heaps you carried around?”

 Gina frowned at Penny’s insult towards her Tardis (her name for her old moped). Though her annoyance was weathered by the satisfaction that she knew a huge secret Penny had no idea about and boasted making first contact with an alien race and being friends with some of them. Sadly, she had to keep the Autobots a secret no matter what. She finally had the biggest one up on her rival and she couldn’t say a thing!

 “Well, due to Annie destroying my moped  and Darren’s bike along with her skateboard,” She began, ignoring the indignant look Annie gave her. “I had to rebuild them from some scraps I found in a junkyard. Added some special features.”

 “Well you didn’t do a very good job, did you?” Penny smirked. “I mean really, orange was the best color you chose for your moped? I know your eyesight is bad, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely color blind.”

 Gina bristled. “Listen you-“

 “Penny, stop antagonizing our friends.”

 A tall black boy with black dreaded hair and a muscular figure walked up behind Penny and placed a hand on her shoulder. He stood a head taller than the girls but gave off the air of a kid who was social and friendly. He was Kevin Koss, one of Darren’s friends from 8th grade and by extension a friend of Gina and Annie.

 “Hey Kevin.” Annie greeted him with a fist bump.

 “Annie, Gina.” Kevin smiled at them. He glanced at Penny, who was trying to look innocent. “I hope Penny wasn’t bothering you, was she?”

 “Kevin! I am shock and appalled you would think that of me.” The girls rolled their eyes. “I’m not bothering my two good friends.”

 “Uh huh. Forgive me, then.” Kevin said, not convinced. He picked up his gym bag and nodded to the girls. “I just got out of basketball practice, so if you’re ready to go, Penny, we can bounce right now.”

 “Okay, just give me a few more minutes.” She said. Kevin waved goodbye to Annie and Gina and left. Once he was out of earshot, Penny glared at them. “If either of you squeal on me, you better hope that I don’t send a little something, something to your house tonight.” She turned her back on them with a huff. “Good day, Harpy.”

 “Later, Pincher.”

 Gina and Penny walked away from each other, not taking their eyes off one another out of fear of some sort of sneak attack from the other party. Annie stood in the middle with an exasperated look on her face and walked to the front doors.

 “Annie, what was that?” Grindor whispered.

 “Two nerds marking their territory, Grindor. Nothing too serious.”

XXXXXX

 Prowl grove through the narrow cobblestone streets that dominated Athenia in Elladas, working his way to an energon signature Teletran-1 detected. It was a chore navigating this narrow maze, the streets were too narrow and traffic was hellish even for him despite blaring his sirens posing as an officer of the law. But he was the only one on standby and it wasn’t much to worry about.

 “Proooooowwwwwlll! I’m bored.” Cried the Minicon riding beside him. “Entertain me.”

 Prowl sighed. His partner on the job was Tracer, the Minicon the children retrieved from Prague. She was a large femme, standing a head taller than the children at least, and had burnt orange armor with orange/yellow optics that looked like aviator goggles. Her chosen alt mode was a motorcycle and she had her generated Holomatter activated, which was a teenage girl with a cockney accent. Fitting considering she acted exactly like a hyperactive adolescent human.

 He thought that Bumblebee was the most annoyingly optimistic and cheery bot on the team, but Tracer took it to another level. She couldn’t stay in one place for too long and it drove him and Ironhide crazy back at the Ark. Never mind the fact that Gina had introduced her to social media for some inexplicable reason.

 ‘How did I get stuck with her?’ He wondered as he turned another corner. ‘I didn’t even say she could come. Ratchet just turned the other way and she ran into the ground bridge.’

 “Prowl-“

 “Whining isn’t going to make this night go any faster. You should’ve held back to learn what you were getting yourself into.” Prowl told her.

 “But I was boooooorrrreeedddd!”

 “You’re always bored.” Prowl replied smoothly. “Now be quiet and focus.”

 Tracer grunted and followed him down the street. They followed the energon signal to the edge of the city, near the older areas that had stone buildings carved from rock and temples dedicated to long dead gods. This was a favorite place for archaeologists to dig up ancient ruins and artifacts that were buried under the city following its modernization. Looking around, Tracer noticed the construction vehicles sitting around and made to wondered what it was for.

 “It’s an excavation site.” He said, as if reading her mind. “This land is full of them. Humans dig around to uncover whatever’s left of ancient civilizations.”

 Making sure that there were no humans around, Prowl transformed and slowly walked into the ditch, making sure to avoid stepping on any of the smaller dig sites.  He ran his scanner over the ground and saw the indicator go green.

 “What’s the verdict, Prowler?” Tracer asked.

 “The humans hit an energon vein and they didn’t even realize it.” Prowl said as he went deeper into the site. He frowned at the unsatisfying readings he was getting. “There isn’t even enough to last us half a day.”

 Tracer hummed and disengaged her avatar before switching to robot mode, flexing her lithe frame as she strolled around, looking at all the new things she set her eyes on. She rarely had the luxury of exploring this world in her natural form. It was always in her alt mode or through the eyes of her holoavatar. So much to see and so little time to see it.

 She walked over to the remains of a wall that sported a slightly worn and faded mural depicting a human warrior clad in gold armor holding aloft some blue object in reverence. She hummed at the beautiful art and took a quick picture with her head mounted camera for the kids. They loved it when someone brought back souvenirs from far off lands.

 “Another one for the scrapbook.” Tracer said, giggling a bit at the word ‘scrapbook’. That was when she noticed something in the mural that looked familiar. “Uh, Prowl?”

 “Yes?”

 “Does this look familiar to you?”

 Prowl sighed and walked over to her. “Tracer, I have work to do and if you aren’t going to be…”

 He trailed off as he got a good look at the mural. In the warrior’s hand, surrounded by a halo of light, was a Minicon panel.

 “What were you going to say? Helpful?” Tracer grinned. “I think I was very helpful in this instance, wasn’t I?”

 Prowl didn’t say anything as he moved closer to study the painting further, but another voice sent him on alert.

 “Look what I found. An Autobot and a Minicon, crawling around in the dirt like the worms they are.” Barricade cackled. He walked out from behind the stone pillars and took out his spinning gyro-blades.

  “I didn’t think you of all people would sneak onto human property at the dead of night, but I’m glad I’ve been proven wrong. From one cop to another, that’s going on your permanent record.”

 “You’re one to talk.” Prowl raised his rifle. He hoped that this didn’t turn into a battle, as any noise they made was sure to attract human attention.

 “Who’s this lunk-head? His face looks like it was dunked in a tank full of scraplets.” Tracer said.

 “You’re regret saying that to your betters, Minicon.” Barricade growled. “Ravage!”

 From the darkness, Ravage sprang out of his hiding spot and lunged at Tracer, knocking her to the ground. Barricade ran forward and quickly closed the distance between him and Prowl, slamming his blades into Prowl’s chest twice, knocking him into a pillar on the second strike. Prowl fired his rifle and hit Barricade in the shoulder, blasting off a chunk of armor. Barricade flinched, but he continued his assault with his spinning gyro-blades, forcing the Autobot back to avoid a potentially lethal strike from those dangerous blades.

 Ravage, a non-humanoid black and grey mech mech, bit and scratched at Tracer with a feline hiss. Tracer cursed in surprise and weaved around Ravage’s sharp claws and jumped on his back, trying to wrangle him into submission. Ravage tried to dislodge the femme off his back, but she had a good grip on his back panels. It only got worse when she stabbed a combat knife into his shoulder blade to anchor herself.

 “Get off me wrench!” Ravage growled.

 “Holy slag, you can talk?” Tracer exclaimed.

 Ravage let out a very nasty curse and threw her off. Tracer tumbled to the ground and she leapt back to avoid his sharp fangs. Ravage fired two laser beams from the cannons on his back, trying to gun her down with rapid fire blasts.

 Prowl swiftly dodged Barricade’s blades trying to avoid getting his face torn off by the wicked looking blades. Barricade managed to get another blow off his chest, worsening the gouges in his chest plate, but Prowl retaliated with a kick to Barricade’s wounded shoulder that jarred him momentarily. Another kick knocked Barricade back, but Barricade gave a war cry and rushed into him. Lifting Prowl over his head, Barricade threw the Autobot across the length of the yard. Tracer and Ravage were forced apart to avoid getting crushed by Prowl’s body after he crashed into the mural, destroying the stone wall.

 “Hope that pretty painting wasn’t important, Praxian savage.” Barricade laughed. He went to attack the down Autobot, but got a plasma blast right in his forehead. “Ow! Frag!”

 “How’s that for a savage, you cog-sucking slaghead!” Tracer shouted. Her arms had changed into two plasma blasters and was shooting at the taller Con rapidly. She would overheat her blasters at this rate, but she didn’t care.

 Barricade took them all to his face, and given the pain in his shoulder, he figured it wasn’t worth the agitation. Shaking his head, he ordered Ravage to retreat.

 “My work is done here, Autobot. Hope your pretty pictures weren’t important.” Barricade chuckled before transforming into his police car alt mode and driving away. Ravage gave Tracer a dirty look before running after Barricade, easily matching his speed and disappearing into the shadows.

 “Prowler, are you okay?” Tracer asked as she ran over to Prowl.

 “Ugh, don’t call me that.” He groaned. He hissed at the deep cuts in his armor and say up. Looking down, he gave a soft curse at the shattered mural under him. “Typical. My job couldn’t be easy for one night, couldn’t it?”

 “No worries, Prowler.” Tracer chirped. She pressed the camera in the side of her head and projected the photo she had taken. “Recon, Tracer-style.”

XXXXXX

 At the Ark, the Autobots and children reviewed the pictures Tracer brought back along with Prowl’s report on his brief encounter with Barricade. Gina had the image downloaded from Tracer onto her laptop, which she then transmitted to the monitor in the command center. Prowl wanted confirmation before making assumptions, but one look was all Sparkplug needed before he nodded.

 “Yeah, that’s a stasis panel, all right.” Sparkplug said. “You don’t see symbols like that anywhere else on this planet…that we know of.”

 “We were lucky that Tracer was able to catch this before Barricade’s attack.” Optimus said.

 “So, what’s a Spartan warrior doing with a Minicon panel in his hands?” Annie asked.

 “He most likely had no idea what it was. Remember, the panels were scattered across the world thousands of years ago. It’s not impossible to think that at some point, people of the ancient world could stumble upon them and see them as relics of the gods.” Sparkplug said.

 “The fresco was probably depicting the panel as some blessed relic that could grant them divine protection or total victory. The Spartans were known for being really good at warfare.” Darren said.

 “Very eloquently put.” High Wire said.

 “The panel was probably dug up at the excavation site, and brought to some museum. We’re lucky the Cons didn’t get there first.” Sparkplug said. “If we don’t know where it is, then they don’t either.”

 “See, Prowler? You were lucky you trashed the mural.” Tracer grinned. Prowl gave her a look, but Arcee spoke up.

 “She’s right, Prowl. At least the Cons won’t know about it.” She said. “Without that fresco, how else will they find out where the panel is?”

 “The internet.” Gina said. She typed in a search in her computer. “Just search the panel’s image online and cross reference it with Elladan artifacts and boom…” She brought up the image on the monitor. “There it is. The panel’s in a museum in Roma.”

 “The real deal?” Annie asked. Gina nodded.

 “Yup. It’s in an exhibit on the third floor, next to the section of Elladan artifacts.”

 “So, we know where it is, so we can cross that off the list.” Sureshock nodded. Then she posed the real question. “Now how do we get it?”

 Everyone paused at that. If the panel was inside a museum on display under guard, then it was obvious what they’d have to do. They all came to the same conclusion-steal the panel from the museum. The thought of burglary made Annie grin devilishly.

 “If we are to liberate the Minicon from the panel, then we must confiscate the panel from the museum.” Optimus said.

 “Please, Optimus, say it like it is. We’re stealing that little mother.” Annie grinned.

 “Which is illegal.” Darren pointed out.

 “Darren, we’re saving lives here. We may not be able to spill the beans, but people will thank us down the line.” Annie told her brother. Darren didn’t like how easy she was going with this.

 “While I do not wish to break human law, I doubt the Decepticons will be as understanding…or as subtle.” Prime said. “We must act covertly to avoid outside interference and casualties.”

 “But how are you going to get in? Half of you guys are almost as tall as a small apartment building. Not to mention there are guards and security cameras.” Darren said.

 “And infrared laser beams.” Gina added.

 “No worries, bro. we can go in with the Minicons and swipe the panel ourselves!” Annie suggested.

 “Out of the question.” Arcee said. “The last thing we need is making you three into criminals before you even turn sixteen.”

 But Optimus was of another mind. “Arcee, as much as I don’t want to, her plan might have some merit. If the Minicons run into trouble, the children can act as human interference. They can’t risk being discovered anymore than we can.”

 “And if they get caught?” Bulkhead asked, not liking this plan.

 “Would you rather it be Sparkplug or, heaven forbid, Tracer?” Annie frowned.

 “Guys, the longer we sit here debating, the more time the Cons have to get the panel. We need to act now.” Sparkplug said.

 Optimus looked at his team. “We’ll get things ready for the mission and formulate a plan to get you inside. Children, you three prepare for getting the panel out undetected and make an escape plan in case things go wrong.”

 That marked the end of the discussion and everyone went their own ways, getting to work on hashing out a plan that’d get the panel out of the museum without getting the children arrested.

XXXXXX

 It was late night in Roma when the Autobots arrived at the museum. The streets were empty at this time of night, and few people were up and about in the sleepy city, which made the operation a bit easier. Prowl was leading a team with Bumblebee and Arcee, driving through the parking lot and quickly taking their positions at the entrances and exits.

 “I got the front entrance covered.” Prowl said.

 “West side clear.” Arcee reported.

 “East side clear.” Bumblebee said.

 “Everyone’s in position, Ratchet. Let’s get this started.” Prowl said to Ratchet over the comm. The medic gave an affirmative and sent a ground bridge to the museum for the kids to take.

 Inside the museum, the ground bridge appeared on the third floor in a massive room, and the kids walked out with their guardians. Gina was holding her Sky Spy drone, which was outfitted with some jamming equipment similar to the electronic warfare equipment used by military drones and stealth bombers. High Wire was holding a perfect replica of the stasis panel to replace the original to mask the theft once they snatch the real one.

 “Prowl, are we clear?” Darren asked, speaking into the communicator he was given by Roll Bar.

 _“Yes, you’re clear on the floor, but be careful. The guards regularly patrol that area.”_ Prowl said.

 “Then we better get to work.” High Wire turned to Gina. “It’s go time.”

 Gina nodded and let Sky Spy loose. It flew toward one of the security cameras, hovering under it and using the jamming signal from its tiny dish to jam the camera’s feed while connecting a power cord into the camera to create a false image. In the security room, the bored and preoccupied guard was none the wiser to the deception, not even noticing one of the monitors flickering for a split second before returning to normal.

 “Cameras are hacked. We’re in the clear.” Gina announced.

 The group went deeper into the room and made their way towards the display case. Having already memorized the layout of the floor, High Wire led them to where the panel was being displayed with little interruption from either the guards or the cameras. They found the panel in the corner of the room, sitting inside a glass case, freshly cleaned and encased in safety glass. Sureshock ran over to the window and switched her flashlight on and off to signal they were initiating phase 2 of the plan.

 This was Darren’s part, which was crucial. The glass case the panel was in had four pressure sensors under the glass. Should the case be lifted, the sudden shift in pressure would be detected by the sensors and the alarm would sound. Darren’s job was to use his telekinesis to keep as much pressure on the sensors to keep the alarm from going off until they made the switch.

 Sureshock walked over to the display and used a small laser cutter to cut away the glass at the base. High Wire got ready to life the case and Darren focused his energy in holding down the pressure sensors near the rim of the display.

 Grindor stood next to a large marble statue of Adonis, tapping his knuckles against the stone. Looking it up and down, he grumbled a bit about it being larger than him.

 “What is it with humans and them building things larger than themselves?” Grindor muttered. Annie nudged him.

 “Stop that, you might set something off.” She whispered. She exhaled and looked back to the others, who were just getting the casing off. “That’s all you’ve done? Hurry it up, I’m getting antsy over here!”

 “Shut up!” Darren hissed, trying to maintain his concentration. One slip up and everything will fall apart.

 “Come on, Annie. Why don’t we go take a look outside? See how the big guys are doing?” Grindor offered. “That’ll calm you down.”

 She just grumbled as he led her over to the window. Looking down into the parking lot, they saw Prowl sitting in a parking space in his vehicle mode, even during a heist he adhered to parking rules. Annie smirked at that thought and looked up a bit, frowning when she saw another police car moving toward the museum from down the street. She glanced at Grindor, who was already on his comm calling Prowl.

 “Prowl, you’ve got another police car heading your way,” Grindor said. “And it’s moving fast.”

 “ _How fast?”_ Prowl asked.

 “Recklessly fast.”

 Prowl didn’t need to ask who it could be. The minute he heard the sound of a car engine roaring behind him, he transformed to his bipedal form and spun around. He was met with Barricade barreling into him in robot mode, slamming into him and sending both mechs into the ground. Prowl kicked him off and jumped to his feet, positioning himself in front of the museum.

 “It’s past your curfew, Barricade. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to return to that cesspool you call a home.” Prowl said. Barricade chuckled and drew his gyro blades.

 “I was never one for following the corrupt law of the land.” He said and swung his blades with practiced ease. “Now step aside and let us have the Minicon.”

 “No chance in-wait,” Prowl blinked. “Us?”

 “Yes,” Barricade smirked. “Us.”

 Prowl was stabbed in the back with something and he was suddenly riddled with thousands of volts of electricity surging through his body. Knockout grinned as Prowl dropped to the ground out cold, with his energon prod in hand.

 “Nigthie night, Prowler.” Knockout chuckled. He looked up to see Arcee and Bumblebee coming to their friend’s aid. “And here comes the cavalry.”

 “Is Scalpel in position?” Barricade asked.

 “He’s already in. This shouldn’t take too long anyway.” Knockout said confidently.

XXXXXX

 “Shit, we’ve got Cons people!” Annie said.

 “Please tell me you guys are almost done.” Grindor whined.

 “We’ve just made the switch. It shouldn’t be too long now.” Sureshock said. She held the real panel tightly in her hands.

 As High Wire started placing the glass back on the display, no one noticed the large, angular shape crawling along the balcony near the ceiling. Scalpel, Knockout’s personal assistant, was a large, 10 foot tall mech with a spider-like body composed of six razor thin legs, two tiny forearms and a large head sitting atop a narrow body with a pair of big orange-red eyes. Despite his size, he was silent as he stalked along the ceiling and eyed the panel in Sureshock’s arms.

 High Wire finally set the glass down and nodded to Darren. The boy released his psychic hold on the sensors and gave a relieved sigh.

 “We got it.” Darren said. “Let’s get out of here before-“

 Scalpel dropped down from above, pushing off the ceiling to descend faster. He handed directly in front of Sureshock and slashed at her with his long legs. She hissed as the sharp blades of his appendages cut deep into her arms and tore the panel from her grasp. Scalpel snatched the panel from her and kicked back at High Wire to knock him into the display.

 “No!” The children exclaimed in horror.

 High Wire crashed into the case and knocked it over. Darren tried to reach for it, but it shattered on the ground before he could do anything. Immediately the alarms began ringing. Scalpel cursed at them in accented cybertronian before he ran away toward the stairs. Darren and Gina helped Sureshock to her feet as Grindor and Annie chased after the Con.

 “High Wire, follow them and don’t get seen! We’ll get Sureshock out of here.” Gina said. High Wire nodded and ran after the others.

 Grindor fired his wrist cannons at Scalpel, but he couldn’t hit the spry mech. Scalpel was surprisingly fast and agile, every time it looked like they were going to catch him, the Con would perform some physically impossible maneuver to elude them and gain some distance.

 “Just shoot him already!” Annie shouted.

 “I’m trying not to hit the exhibits!” Grindor yelled back.

 “Lives are in danger! Screw the dinosaur bones and shoot!” She screamed.

 The two mechs raced down the stairs and Annie would’ve followed them had she not almost been knocked over by High Wire, who raced past her in his alt mode. She tripped on her feet, and landed face first into the floor, knocking her head against the banister and blacking out.

 At the foot of the stairs, Grindor jumped off the steps and onto Scalpel, knocking him to the floor. He grappled with the misshapen mech, who was a lot stronger than his spindly form hinted. Trying not to get stabbed in the eyes by those bloody legs of his was a hassle as well.

 “Unhand me you insolent fool!” Scalpel snarled in native cybertronian, which sounded like a series of light chirps and hisses to human ears. “I vill vear you armor as spoils of var!”

 “Would you shut up!” Grindor yelled. High Wire came down to the floor after doing a wheelie on the banister and jumped off, transforming and running to his partner’s aid.

 Not wanting to waste any more time than he already had, Scalpel wriggled out of Grindor’s hold and stabbed his front legs into his direction. Grindor screamed as one leg stabbed into his shoulder and another into his solar plexus, both wounds too small to be lethal but still hurt like a glitch.

 Standing up, Scalpel lifted Grindor up over his wiry frame and threw him at High Wire. The Street Action Team leader skidded to a stop to catch his friend and Scalpel used the distraction to retrieve his quarry and run for the emergency exit.

 “This is Scalpel,” He called in. “I have zee panel!”

 Upstairs, Annie groaned as she returned to consciousness. She was only out for two minutes, but her noggin was aching and the damn alarms were making it worse. When the ringing finally stopped, she sighed in relief.

 “Thank you,” She sighed, and a dark look flashed over her eyes. “Now I’m gonna find High Wire and shove my fist up his nonexistent-“

 “What are you doing here?” A gruff voice asked.

 Annie froze as a flashlight was shined on her and she turned around to see a security guard standing over her with a dark glare on his mustached face. Knowing that she couldn’t run now, she sagged in defeat.

 “Crap.”

XXXXXX

 Prowl woke up with a grunt and the first thing he heard was Arcee cursing. He lifted his head to see Arcee and Bumblebee fighting Knockout and Barricade. Neither side was using long range weapons, as they wanted to keep the noise to a minimum and avoid attracting unwanted attention.

 Bumblebee was grappling with Barricade, holding his arm tight to keeping the Con from tearing into him with his gyro-blades. Barricade growled and increased power to the servos in his arms and pushed Bumblebee back and lifted the scout over his shoulder and into the ground. Barricade pulled his arm free to cut Bumblebee down, but the yellow mech fired a bolt from his stinger into his eyes.

 With Barricade half-blind, Bumblebee took the chance to start pummeling him with punches coated in electrical discharges from his stingers. Arcee had her own little dance with Knockout. While it was clear that Knockout was no martial arts master, with his uncoordinated movements and attacks were slow compared to Arcee’s fast strikes, he managed to keep her at bay with his energon prod, twirling it around him in a flamboyant style that screamed “look at me!” Arcee figured that the only reason he was able to use that thing properly was because of training from Nightshade.

 “You have lovely features, my dear. I’d love to set up and appointment with you to see what’s under your hood.” Knockout cackled as he lashed out with the prod. Arcee deflected the staff with her swords and kicked him in the jaw with her heel.

 “That’s not how you ask a girl on a date, Knockout. You have to take her out to dinner first!” Arcee lunged at him and hooked her legs around the prod. She used her body weight to pull the prod from his hands and spun around to go in for the kill shot. Knockout changed his left hand into a medical saw and slashed her chest, pushing her back.

 “Please sister, you should be doing that for me.” Knockout ran at her, but his charge was cut short by Prowl punching him in the face.

 “Thank you for the shock therapy, doc.” Prowl spat and turned to Arcee. “What’s the status on the children and the Minicons?”

 “I don’t know, they haven’t called it in yet.” Arcee said. “But they should be done by now.”

 Prowl frowned, knowing that they would’ve had confirmation of the panel’s possession by now as per procedure. Knockout groaned and sat up, rubbing his aching jaw. He growled and stood up to rush at Prowl when his comm chirped.

 “ _I have zee Minicon!”_ The mad doctor announced. “ _Be ready to get me out of here. The human guards are alerted to your presence!”_

“Worry not, Scalpel, I’m on my way.” Knockout grinned. He gave the Autobots a two fingered salute before he collapsed into his car mode and drove to the back of the building.

 “Scrap!” Arcee cursed as she and Prowl raced after Knockout to the rear exit. They turned the corner to see Scalpel and the panel already seated in Knockout’s backseat. He shut his door and drove back in reverse, slamming into Prowl and Arcee in his escape.

 “Hey bozo! We have what we came for!” Knockout yelled at his partner. “Get your ass in gear and move it!”

 Barricade gave Knockout an obscene hand gesture and kicked Bumblebee away from him. He threw a flash grenade at the Autobots, which exploded into a blinding flash of light before them and stopped them short. When the light died down and their optic sensors adjusted to the dark once more, Barricade and Knockout were long gone.

 “Slag, we lost them!” Bumblebee growled.

 “We can still catch them. I’ve got a fix on their signals.” Arcee said. Prowl nodded.

 “Great, let’s go after them before they call for a ground bridge.” Prowl went to chase after them, but got a call from Grindor.

 “ _Prowl, we’ve got a problem!”_ The Minicon exclaimed.

 “Yes, Grindor, we know the Cons have the panel.” Prowl said urgently. “We’re going to pursue them.”

 “ _No, I mean us! Annie got caught by a security guard and she’s going to be arrested if we don’t do something!”_

Prowl gave an annoyed grunt and looked at his teammates. “Arcee, Bumblebee, retrieve the panel. I’ll handle damage control with Annie.”

 They nodded and went into their vehicle modes before driving out of the parking lot, leaving Prowl alone by the museum. He sighed and transformed back into his police cruiser form. The things he did for his comrades.

XXXXXX

 The guard tapped his finger on his desk, trying to figure out what to do with the girl sitting in front of him. As well as figure out how she even got into the museum at this time of night in the first place.

 “Look kid, if this is some kind of prank, then you should know that the authorities are on their way. So are you going to tell me what you’re even doing here?” He asked firmly, trying to intimidate her.

 Unfortunately for him, Annie was far from scared. Staring into the barrel of Megatron’s fusion cannon mere seconds away from being annihilated increases your fear threshold significantly, so a slightly ticked off security guard was the least of her worries.

 “This would be a whole lot easier if you just told me what happened with that panel.”

 “I was researching for my history report, lost track of time when I took a nap in the corner and got locked in. I panicked when I was alone in that creepy room and tried to leave, but…you know. Shit happened.” Annie said. It was all she could think of, but it wasn’t rare to have someone accidentally get locked inside a museum if they weren’t found out beforehand. Thankfully she thought of this on the fly, though she hoped that the dueling alien robots outside didn’t cause too much of a mess.

 “Oh really? And what is your report about?” He asked, hoping to catch her at her bluff and knock the wind from her sails.

 Five minutes later, Annie was knee deep into her overly detailed account of the history of the Spartan nation. As she droned on about the mating rituals of the Spartans, the guard was already regretting his decision as he tried to block out her long winded sentences.

XXXXXX

 Knockout and Barricade raced down the street without a care about running through red lights and almost hitting pedestrians. Arcee and Bumblebee were close behind them in pursuit and were catching up to them.

 “We’ve got Bots on our tail!” Knockout yelled.

 Barricade said nothing, wordlessly spinning around to drive in reverse and slid apart the panels over his headlights to reveal two small missile launchers. Taking aim, he fired two missiles at the Autobots.

 “Bee!” Arcee called out.

 “Got it!” Bumblebee took point and fired a couple of flares to attract the missiles and explode them without even getting his paint dirty. Knockout grunted while Barricade thought of another plan. He signaled Knockout to follow him as he swerved into an alleyway.

 Speeding down the alley in single file, they turned into a large sewer duck that was the opening to the city’s ancient water system. They made it as far as the grates before Arcee jumped over them in robot mode and jumped on Knockout’s front hood.

 The sudden weight on his hood caused Knockout to flip over Arcee, who took out her blasters and opened fire on his unprotected form. Knockout’s fancy sports car mode was riddled with laser blasts and the damage caused him to revert to his robot mode as a result. He crashed into the filthy, dirty water and deposited Scalpel and the panel during his conversion. Scalpel landed on his feet and ran for the panel without a second thought.

 “No you don’t!” Arcee fired a shot at him that hit the ground in front of Scalpel, sending him flying back into the waterway. Arcee took a look at Knockout and smirked. “I always thought you needed a bath.”

 Knockout growled, looking down at himself in disgust. Sewer water covered his once pristine form and the smell alone was enough to make him grimace. “How dare you mock me! It took me hours to wax my finish and you ruined it!”

 “Honestly, your paint job was fading anyway. It’s totally natural, though,” Arcee went on. “A sign that you’re getting up there in years.”

 That caused Knockout to finally snap and he rushed at Arcee with his energon prod, swearing loudly.

 Bumblebee and Barricade were once again engaged in a brutal fist fight. Barricade wailed on the scout with his sharp, clawed hands, punching and scratching at him without any sign of letting him up. Bumblebee protected his face until he saw an opportunity to move. When Barricade threw a punch at his chest, he grabbed his arm and twisted his own body around to push himself back into Barricade, slamming his elbow into the Con’s face. He smirked when he heard metal cracking from the blow.

 “Agh! Why is it always in the face?” Barricade grunted.

 Knockout was not having much luck himself. Arcee parried his attacks with ease, and she was doing a good job of reminding him why he didn’t go out on these missions. He transformed his left hand into a spinning drill and tried to gore a hole into her, but she weaved around his arm and slashed her blades into his arm. Knockout hissed in pain and tried to back away, but she wrestled the prod from his grasp and pointed the tip at his face.

 “Don’t even-nghgghghgh!” Knockout’s warning devolved into garbled cries as the prod was jammed into his neck. He twitched violently from the strong volts going through him and fell back into the water. He wasn’t going to enjoy the mess he was going to clean up later.

 Arcee turned to her partner, who was still fighting Barricade. “Bee! I’m open!”

 Bumblebee heard her and leaned back to avoid a punch to his face. Catching Barricade’s arm, he pulled the Con in front of him just as Arcee threw the energon prod like a javelin. Barricade was turned away from the prod, so he couldn’t see it, but he definitely felt its power as it hit him in the middle of his back and shocked him into unconsciousness.

 Bumblebee let out a tired breath and leaned on his knees, smiling up at Arcee. “That was fun.”

“You okay?” Arcee asked.

 “Yeah. What about you? Did you get the panel?”

 Arcee smiled and held up the tiny panel in her palm. “Mission accomplished, Bee. Let’s get the kids and go home.”

 “Sure thing.” Bumblebee transformed to his alt mode, but realized something. “Hey, how is Prowl going to get Annie out of custody anyway?”

XXXXXX

 Annie didn’t stop talking for almost an hour, and the guard was on the verge of bashing his head on his desk to stop this torture. She was hoping that he would’ve let her go by now, or at least for the Autobots to find a way to get her out, but she had to give this guy some credit for lasting this long. Very few people aside from her siblings could remain sane after listening to her drone endlessly.

 The guard looked at the time and saw that it was 1:30AM. Where was the police? They shouldn’t take this long to come. He had no idea that the Sky Spy that was hacked into the cameras was also blocking the phone signals via the building’s electrical system.

 “Now I don’t know about you, but I personally think that 300 is the best movie that portrays the Spartans’ fight against the Sunehran warriors. Granted Emperor Vayne looks a bit too “fabulous” for me in that movie, but I’m not exactly one to judge, right?” She smirked. “Anyway-“

 “Look little lady, I didn’t bring you here to give me a history lesson. I just want to know what were you doing on the third floor with that panel. That artifact is priceless and if you damaged it in anyway, it’s going on your head.”

 Annie tried to make up another excuse, but the door opened up and a rather handsome dark haired police officer walked in with a cool exterior. She actually got a little nervous at seeing him, but then she saw his badge. It was a stylized Autobot symbol.

 “Sorry I’m late. You caught me in the middle of a speeding incident.” Prowl said coolly.

 “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your patrol, officer. I was just trying to get this young lady to fess up about her mischief in this museum at this time of night.” The guard explained.

 Prowl nodded and gave Annie an analytical look extremely similar to the one he would give in his real body. “I see. Well, no need to worry. I’ve already notified the girl’s parents and they’re worried sick about her. I’m sure she’ll explain to them what happened.”

 “But,” He was about to protest, but Prowl’s hard stare with his ice blue eyes shut him up immediately. “O-Okay. Young lady, I better not catch you in this museum again after tonight. You understand?”

 “Oh yes sir! I’ve definitely learned my lesson.” Annie said, trying to keep the grin off her face. “I just hope I wasn’t too much trouble.”

 “You should be worried about what your parents will do when they find out about what you were up to.” Prowl said. He gave the guard a nod and escorted Annie out of the office. On the way out, Annie collected the Sky Spy and they went to Prowl’s vehicle mode parked outside. He let Annie into the driver’s seat and disengaged his Holomatter. “You have no idea how lucky you are.”

 “Actually, I do.” Annie said softly and smiled at him. “Thanks for saving my ass back there. I was running out of things to say.”

 “It’s nothing.” He replied as he drove out of the parking lot and onto the street. “I was just doing my job.”

 “No, seriously, thank you. I really owe you one.” She went on. “You totally didn’t have to come back for me, and I lost you a chance to get the panel-“

 “We didn’t lose it. Arcee and Bumblebee just called in and they managed to get it from the Cons.” Prowl told her. “Despite some complications, this mission was a success. You kids did well in there.”

 “Thanks.” Annie smiled.

XXXXXX

 “Why am I constantly disappointed by my own soldiers?”

 Megatron’s angry roar shook the halls of the mighty Nemesis ship as he reacted badly to the news of Knockout and Barricade’s failure. Leader-1 stood off to the side watching his master give his subordinates a thorough dressing down as they trembled in fear.

 “You had one job. Just one!” Megatron shouted. “And somehow  you managed to lose to a no-name scout and a washed up cyber-ninja!”

 “Ahem, to be fair, lord Megatron, they had Prowl along too, so…” Knockout trailed off as Megatron’s snarling face got angrier with each word. “Shutting up.”

 “How can we hope to gain a foothold in this accursed operation if we cannot even gain the necessary weapons that can allow us an advantage over them?” Megatron asked. “You promised to retrieve the panel, Knockout, and yet the only thing you’ve achieved is showing your incompetence.”

 “My apologies, lord Megatron.” The medic said, bowing his head.

 “And you,” Megatron turned his burning gaze onto Barricade. “What’s your excuse?”

 “I have none, my lord. I take full responsibility for your failure. We’ll accept whatever punishment you see fit.” Barricade said, glaring at Knockout to keep his mouth shut.

 Megatron glared at both of them before turning away from them. “Your humiliating defeat at the hands of Prime’s dogs is punishment enough, but do not expect me to count on your services again.” He said, then added, “Oh, and Knockout, refrain from washing that sewage water from your body. I want you to spend the entire day like that to remind you of what happens to soldiers who don’t take their duty seriously.”

 “Y-yes, lord Megatron.” They said, though Knockout sounded like he was going to cry. When they left the bridge, Leader-1 walked up to Megatron. “You shouldn’t have let Knockout go in the first place. He’s a medic, not a warrior. They don’t do much in the field except act as cannon fodder for the enemy.”

 “I’m not in the mood for your japes, Leader-1.” Megatron growled. The Mini-Con raised his hands in mock surrender.

 “I’m meant no disrespect, my lord. I’m just saying all is not lost. There are still others out there, many of them my secret agents.” He said. When Megatron didn’t seem the least bit interested, he decided to stop dancing around the topic. “And one of them may be closer to our enemies as we speak.”

 That got Megatron’s attention. “What do you mean?”

 “Lord Megatron, I checked out the panel that Scalpel recovered and recognized it as one belonging to one of my agents, the bot who gathered data on the Minicon Combiner project. As we speak, she’s inside the Ark, and when the time comes, she will grant us the victory we rightfully deserve.”

XXXXXX

 The next day, before the kids went to school, they visited the Ark with their guardians to meet the new Minicon Sparkplug released from the panel after they went home last night. Sparkplug and his Minicons were in their quarters when the children came in.

 “Kids, good morning!” Sparkplug greeted them. “How was your night?”

 “Exhausting. I don’t usually stay up this late, and I’m feel so dead.” Gina yawned. Sleeping in late after all that excitement last night wasn’t her usual quota and it wreaked havoc on her morning schedule. Darren and Annie didn’t look any better either.

 “Speak for yourself. My head still hurts from when High Wire knocked me over.” Annie said, glaring at the mech in question.

 “I said I was sorry.” High Wire muttered.

 Darren was about to break it up when he heard a mature feminine giggle behind him. “My, you humans are a rowdy bunch.”

 Darren turned around and found himself face to face with a pink Minicon femme just a little bit taller than him with pink armor of varying shades and deep green eyes. She had two wheels on her back, connected by an axel that was folded upwards and hinted a two wheeled alt mode. She looked Darren over with a coy smile.

 “Well hello there.” Grindor whistled, earning a hard elbow from Sureshock.

 “Hello humans,” The femme bowed her head a bit in greeting. “My name is D-Va. Nice to meet you all.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please check out the official website for this series (link on my profile).


	8. Carnival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to check out the official site of Transformers Titan at transformerstitan.wordpress.com/

Chapter 7-Carnival

 Life with the Autobots and Minicons was something that the children would never take for granted, after all, no one could admit to being friends with larger than life aliens on a personal level and actually helping them out in some situations was something that they’d trade for the world. Still, when there wasn’t a stasis panel to retrieve or energon to search out, things around the Ark fell into a peaceful, if a bit boring, lull. Annie loved chatting with Bulkhead and Grindor, but she also tried connecting with some of the other bots when they actually gave her the time of day. When she wasn’t doing that, she was screwing around with Gina doing things that could give her brother a heart attack. Like building weapons.

 You may scream now.

 The girls were in the Minicons’ quarters in the west wing of the Ark, using Roll Bar’s work table as their little work station. Annie was Gina’s little assistant in testing out the capabilities of energon in terms of making human scale weapons for them to use (defensively of course), without Autobot supervision. Because that’s just asking for trouble.

 “Gina, I know this is a little late to be asking this,” Annie said as she watched Gina try to fit processed energon into a gun that looked like it was stitched together. “But when the hell did you learn how to make guns?”

 “Technically, it’s not a gun, it’s a blaster, and Rollbar helped me design most of it so we have something that can use energon for ammo.” Gina said, using a laser burner to weld together the delicate components that would be crucial in turning the energon into offensive energy. “He’s the one who taught me the basics. It’s pretty interesting to learn how the whole energy weapon thing works. Most of the science behind it is actually pretty doable for humans if we had the proper technology.”

 “I don’t like you fooling around with weaponized energon, Gina.” Sureshock said. She was acting as their designated overseer to make sure to pull them out of the fire if things went south. “One wrong move and-“

 “I know, I’ll get a firsthand account of what goes on in Wheeljack’s room. Don’t worry, Sureshock, as someone who deals with raw hephaestium in her free time, I know the dangers of tinkering with volatile minerals.” Gina said haughtily.

 Unfortunately she chose that moment to take her eyes off her work to smirk cockily at Sureshock, which led to her adding too much heat to one of the containment bottles, causing it to explode in her face and burst into smoke in Gina’s face. The girls jumped back and Sureshock rushed to check Gina over, but the blonde waved her back.

 “I’m fine! I’m fine. Just caught off guard.” Gina coughed and waved away the foul smelling smoke. “Damn, that’s rancid. Didn’t think burnt energon could smell that bad.”

 “How about we take a break before we set something on fire.” Annie said. Sparkplug ran into the room and looked at the girls.

 “What happened? I heard someone scream.” He asked.

 “Just a slight malfunction with the blaster, nothing serious.” Gina sighed, rubbing her face clean. Sureshock shook her head and waved Sparkplug over.

 “Sparkplug, I don’t like having the children fool around with Minicon weaponry. Heaven forbid if they shoot themselves or others accidentally.”

 “I know, but they’re responsible kids. They know better than to swing a gun around like that.” Sparkplug looked at the girls as they were cleaning up the mess Gina made. “But they need something to keep them safe on missions. Your team won’t be with them all the time and Micronus help us if any of the Mini-Cons gets hold of them. Scalpel could’ve seriously wounded or even killed them back at the museum if things had gone differently. I’m not going to let them get hurt on my watch.”

 “You know the Autobots won’t condone us giving the kids energy weapons.”

 “I’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. And for the record, I don’t recall the kids being under Autobot protection 24/7.” Sparkplug said. “They’re our responsibility and we’ll do what needs to be done to ensure their safety.”

 In another part of the Ark, Darren and High Wire watched Wheeljack and Bulkhead work on making some upgrades to the new hybrid energon/hephaestium synthesizer that the former made. It was a large, unattractive looking piece of machinery that looked like a glorified engine with a bunch of visible glowing power lines running in and out of its sides.

 “So this is supposed to synthesize energon from hephaestium without passing on the bad side effects?” Darren asked.

 “That’s the idea.” Bulkhead said. “The stuff’s everywhere, but we can’t ingest it without going into a downward spiral of pain and misery, so we need to purify the stuff before drinking it.”

 “But you guys already have plenty of energon in storage. I thought you guys were good.”

 “Yeah, for now. But when the fighting starts, half of that energon goes into repairs and medical supplies. The other half goes to us. We need to ration our energon on every mission or risk running out and slowing our performance on the field.” Bulkhead explained, plugging in the power cable from the ship’s power lines. “Using natural resources to synthesize artificial energon is a must if you want to be on top of your game in supplies.”

 “But the problem is that the stuff tastes like slag.” Wheeljack remarked. Once he was done with the final checks, he gave Bulkhead the thumbs up. “Alright, Bulk, let her rip.”

 Bulkhead flipped the power switch and the synthesizer activated. Darren and High Wire watched anxiously as the machine rumbled a bit like an actual car engine, drawing power directly from the hephaestium stone hooked into it to create liquefied processed energon in the cube at the end of the dispenser. Darren wondered how that process worked as he saw the cube slowly fill up with multicolored liquid that he knew was processed energon. Wheeljack waited for the cube to fill halfway before shutting the machine down and pulling it away, holding it up to Bulkhead.

 “Whoa, you’re making me drink that?” Bulkhead gulped.

 “I already had my trial by fire. It’s your turn to be the test petro-rabbit.” Wheeljack said.

 Bulkhead groaned but didn’t refute his comment. He took the cube and made a quick prayer before chugging the energon down in three huge gulps. When he was finished, he wiped his mouth and looked at Wheeljack expectantly.

 “Well?”Wheeljack asked.

 “Well what?”

 “Do you feel any different?” Wheeljack pressed. “Any side effects? Nausea? A sore tank?”

 “I…don’t feel all that different actually. Huh, I was expecting something exploding in my fuel pump or something like that. Can’t say the taste is anything to be excited about.” Bulkhead grinned. He rolled his shoulders a bit and flexed his hands. “Actually, I feel a bit better right now. I don’t feel very tired either. Hey, maybe it is working!”

 “Bulk, let me run some tests first before you-“

 “I gotta go, Jackie! Almost time for recon duty. See ya!” Without another word, Bulkhead fast walked down the hall with a noticeable pep in his step. Wheeljack rubbed the back of his head in worry.

 “Oh dear.” He muttered. Darren and High Wire were of the same mind.

 “Is Bulkhead going to be okay?” Darren asked.

 “Honestly, I’m afraid he’s a bit too okay for one mech.” High Wire remarked.

XXXXXX

 The next day at school, the children were out in the front yard having a much needed discussion about something important that just came up.

 “You’re making weapons?” Darren asked, making a face. As in, real weapons with the supplies the Minicons gave you?”

 “Yup.” Gina didn’t even look ashamed at admitting it.

 “Gina…we’re not even old enough to look at x-rated videos-“

 “Speak for yourself.” Annie muttered.

Darren gave her a look and continued. “What makes you think that the Autobots are going to let us have guns on us?”

 “First of all, Sparkplug supported my decision, and was the one who told me how to make them. I’m not making giant plasma cannons or anything, just human-sized blasters made under Sureshock’s supervision.” Gina said.

 “The Autobots have a rule that forbids them from sharing cybertronian technology with other races, and that means us.” Annie said.

 “So Sparkplug offered to show us a loophole with some help from the Minicons. A completely terra-made blaster built using cybertronian specs.” Gina continued. Darren wasn’t liking how calm she was explaining this. “An exploitable loophole we can use without pissing Prowl off.”

 “Like we’re gonna tell him anyway.” Annie snorted.

 “Do you two hear yourselves? You’re making alien guns! That kind of thing can blow up in your face, and net time, it won’t just be smoke.” Darren said.

 Gina sighed and placed a hand on Darren’s shoulder. “Darren, we need this. If we’re going to be risking our lives finding Minicons, we need to have some protection other than the Street Action team. You saw what happened in the museum-that could’ve gotten bloody really fast. I still have cuts on my arms from Scalpels attack. He could’ve easily skewered any of us and we wouldn’t be able to do anything to stop him. Don’t worry, we won’t be carrying them around with us every day, just on missions. Sparkplug offered to hold the weapons for us when we’re off the clock.”

 Darren didn’t look convinced, but he nodded anyway. “Okay, but…I signed up to help rescue alien refugees, not carry around alien guns like I’m going to do a drive by.”

 “Well then, just shoot at the bastards shooting you and everything will be fine. Not that you need one anyway.” Annie huffed and took out her soda. “Hero.”

 “Well, look at the time! Lunch is almost over.” Gina said loudly before Darren could make a scathing remark towards his sister. “I’m going to get my math book before the kids rush back inside. After-lunch traffic is the worst.”

 “Sure, we’ll be here…trying not to kill each other.” Darren muttered under his breath.

 Gina shook her head and made her way back into the school to get her books for her next class. She loved being friends with the twins, but it hurt to see them act so hostile towards each other, especially when it was over the matter of Darren’s powers. It disturbed her at how easily they got into fights these days. They’re twins; no pair should argue that viciously.

 Though, she supposed she could understand Darren’s hesitation. His father had fought in a war and died from it, and it affected his family really badly. It would make sense to be very hesitant to be getting any more involved with the alien war going on right under their noses. They agreed to rescue the Minicons, not actively fight with weapons. But Gina wasn’t giving this up. If they were going to get up close and personal with Leader-1’s team every mission, they needed something to protect themselves when Goldfire was duking it out in their stead.

 When she made it to her locker, Gina was surprised to see Penny standing there waiting for her. Rolling her eyes, she opened it and got her books.

 “Hello, Penny.” She said coldly.

 “Gina.” Penny said smirking.

 “What do you want?”

 “Just seeing if you’re ready for the robotics fair that’s coming up.” Penny said. Gina was lucky that the locker door was hiding her upper body, because she froze solid upon hearing that. “I haven’t seen or heard of what you had planned for the fair. Getting cold feet?”

 “Me? Pah! Perish the thought.” Gina grinned, inwardly sweating.

 “Good, I want to see your best creation for when I beat you fair and square.” Penny said and walked back down the hall, looking like she already won. “I hope you’re prepared or I’ll be severely disappointed!”

 “Of course I’m prepared.” Gina said. “I’m totally prepared.”

XXXXXX

 “I’m totally fucked!”

 Sureshock winced at bit as Gina’s panicked exclamation rattled the underground workshop. She was sitting on the spare bed near the work table watching Gina pace back and forth in panic.

 “Gina, what’s the difference if you’ve forgotten or not? You’re a wiz at this kind of thing. Whatever you build, big or small, you’ll impress a lot of people.” She said.

 “But it’s not about the people, it’s about beating Penny at her own game.” Gina sighed. “We’re constantly trying to outdo each other in all fields of science, from chemistry to astrophysics. Robotics is actually my weak point and she’s been shoving it in my face since that science fair two years ago. I don’t have time to make something good enough to beat her robots. She makes robots that are taller than a man and can fight, Sureshock!”

 “Calm down, I have faith that you can make something just as good as hers. You’re the smartest human I know.” Sureshock said.

 “I’m one of the only humans you know.” Gina said.

 “Doesn’t mean it isn’t true.” Sureshock replied.

 Gina crossed her arms and thought long and hard. As skilled as she was at robotics, there was a lot of testing and calibrations to consider when making a robot, especially a large one. Rush jobs did not go well with robots, and Gina had only two days until the robot fair. There was no way she could make something that complex in that short amount of time. Her eyes glanced over Sureshock, and something clicked in her head. A smile spread across her face and she looked at her Minicon partner.

 “Sureshock, saddle up. We’re heading over to Darren and Annie’s house. There’s something I need to ask High Wire and Grindor.”

 Sureshock tilted her head. “About what?”

 “Oh,” A grin spread across Gina’s face that would’ve made a lesser man cry. “Just their opinion on an idea of mine.”

XXXXXX

 “Bulkhead, are you sure you’re okay?” Wheeljack asked his friend.

 “Jackie, I said I’m fine. Why do you keep asking me that?”

 “Because you’ve been running around the ship nonstop and its starting to make me worried.” Wheeljack replied. “Not to mention you’re pushing fifty miles on the treadmill.”

 Indeed, the large Autobot was currently running almost fifty mph on a treadmill in the training room, not even looking winded as he easily matched a pace that would’ve sent him flying. Wheeljack wasn’t even going to try to deduce how Bulkhead was able to do this with his stocky legs. The machine itself looked like it was going to collapse under Bulkhead’s constant thumping along the rails.

 “Nothing’s wrong, Jackie. I’m just working off some extra steam. That energon’s got me all fired up and I feel like I could take on an entire Seeker armada.” Bulkhead said without missing a beat in his run.

XXXXXX

 Gina wasted no time in hunting down High Wire and Grindor when she got to her friends’ house. Leaving Sureshock outside, she quickly dragged the two Minicons into the garage to explain her plan to them, which they reacted to negatively.

 “No.” High Wire said firmly. “Just, no.”

 “Come on, High Wire, don’t do me dirty like that.” Gina whined.

 “I have to go with High Wire on this one, Gina. This plan of yours-“

 “Evil scheme.” High Wire corrected Grindor.

 “Evil scheme of yours is both stupid and risky.” Grindor said.

 “Please, just think about it. I’m desperate here, and the robotics fair is only two days away. I don’t have time to make a super awesome robot to wow everyone and get a one up on my rival. So since you’re, like, robotic and all-“

 “We’re not robots!” Grindor yelled.

 “I thought you two could maybe…do a little pretend for me.” Gina finished sheepishly.

 “And how come you didn’t go to Sureshock about this?” Grindor asked.

 “Because she knew Sureshock would not only say no, but also tell the others about it.” High Wire said. “Gina, you know why we can’t do this. The risk-“

 “No one would believe that you’re anything more than cool looking robots. And you both know I will never spill the beans on you guys.” Gina sighed. “Please, it’s just for one day. Pretend I made you and follow whatever commands I give you with my remote. That’s it. No one will question why you’re so advanced because everyone’s used to my cookie creations.”

 High Wire and Grindor looked at each other, seemingly having a private conversation before they nodded and looked back at the girl.

 “We’ll follow your lead.” High Wire said. “But if things start looking bad, we’re leaving the fair immediately.”

 “And none of us will breathe a word of this to the Autobots.” Grindor added.

 “Yes! Banzai!” Gina hollered. “Penny ain’t got shit on you guys!”

 ‘Primus, I’m already regretting my decision.’ High Wire thought miserably.

XXXXXX

 ‘I’m getting too old for this.’ Ironhide thought with a scowl as he ducked under a large fist, only to get hit in the nose by another.

 Ironhide was sparring with Bulkhead late in the night, with most of the team asleep in their quarters. It was Ironhide’s turn for watch duty, and Bulkhead, unable to even close his eyes for more than a few seconds before getting up again. So the big green mech sought out Ironhide to work out his frustration and extra energy with a little sparring match. Normally Ironhide would be all for beating down the younger bots and proving his stuff, but it was late in the night, and fighting Bulkhead was never an easy feat. Now that the mech was on overcharge, it was just getting annoying.

 “Come on, Hide! I thought you were a vet!” Bulkhead taunted, slapping away a punch and thrusting out his rotund belly into Ionrhide, knocking him back. “I’m barely breaking a sweat here!”

 “Don’t get cocky, lunkhead.” Ironhide growled. He rushed forward and reared his arm back for a hard face punch. “Smack talk like that gets you dropped!”

 Bulkhead dodged the punch and grabbed Ironhide’s arm, throwing the red Autobot over his shoulder and into the wall. The noise was loud enough to cause Wheeljack and Arcee to rush into the room to investigate.

 “What’s going on in here?” Arcee asked.

 “Hey, Cee! You just missed me kicking Hide’s aft for the thousandth time.” Bulkhead grinned.

 “We’ve only had three matches, you bastard.” Ironhide groaned.

 “Bulk, it’s the middle of the night. Please just lay down or something before you wake up Optimus.” Wheeljack begged his friend.

 “Or Prowl, heaven forbid.” Arcee muttered.

 “But Jackie, I feel way too hyper to even stand still. I’m feeling like I can take on the world and not even Megatron can stop me!” Bulkhead exclaimed.

 “Seriously, Bulkhead, settle down and go do something less noisy and strenuous.” Wheeljack said. “Preferably something that doesn’t involve making Ironhide your number one enemy.”

 “Too late for that.” Ironhide grumbled as he stood up.

 Bulkhead  shrugged and walked past Wheeljack to leave the room to get some energon. When he was gone, both Ironhide and Arcee glared at him.

 “What?” He asked.

 “You know what.” Ironhide growled.

 “What did you give Bulkhead to make him this hyper?” Arcee asked. “He’s like Blurr hopped up on red energon.”

 “All I gave him was a sample of the hybrid formula I made from diluted hephaestium mixed with regular energon. The effects started almost immediately, but I didn’t think they’d last as long as it would.”

 “Well, fix him so we can get a decent night’s recharge!” Ironhide growled. “I’m getting sick of hearing his large ass lumber through the damn halls.”

 “Yeah, that’s going to take some time.” Wheeljack coughed into his hand. “You see, the energon is taking its sweet time draining out of his system. It’s taking longer than normal energon, which was the whole point of the experiment. At this point, he’ll have to exert a great amount of energy to flush it from his system.”

 “Then get to it, braniac. I’m getting sick of Bulkhead’s slag.” Ironhide roughly pushed past Wheeljack and left the room.

 “Wheeljack, maybe you should find a way to help Bulkhead before he gets hurt.” Arcee said. “You know better than to test out your experiments on living subjects.”

“I know. I’ll try to make sure Bulk doesn’t get into trouble, but nothing short of a brawl will make him…” Wheeljack trailed off when he suddenly had an idea. “I got it!”

 Arcee jumped at his exclamation. “W-what? What happened?”

 “The perfect way to make Bulkhead lose his energy!” Wheeljack would’ve smiled if he had a mouth.

XXXXXX

 Every year, the Tranquility science center would have a robotics fair to showcase different roots created by brilliant young minds in the area and show their engineering prowess. It wasn’t a competition and there was no prize money, but from the viewpoint of those taking part in the fair, it was a matter of showing what you can do, gaining bragging rights, and notoriety. Basically, it was a battleground for nerds. The park where it was taking place was jam packed and full of young participants with their own robotic creations. There were booths set up for participants to show off their robots, with crowds gathered in front of the more impressive ones.

 Gina led the two Minicons through the crowd with a big smile on her face, taking some pride in the surprised looks on people’s faces as they looked upon her “creations”. These people had no idea that there were two live aliens walking among them, and the irony of it was enough for her to smile through her nervousness. This was a massive risk she was taking, and if anyone had their suspicions, then things were going to go south fast. But her pride as a scientist and a girl kept her going through with the plan and hoped that the Autobots didn’t find out about this.

 High Wire and Grindor were taking this chance to look at all the new sights. It was nothing special to them, but walking around in their natural forms and having people gawk at them for only a few seconds was a surreal experience. None of these people knew he was no ordinary robot, and he wanted to keep it that way. Grindor, however, was more worried about what Darren and Annie would think if they found out about this.

 “ _Annie’s gonna tear me a new tailpipe.”_ Grindor said through their internal comm. “ _She may not look like much, but she can throw a punch if she’s angry enough. And I have little reason to doubt that she can’t punch through solid metal if she learns about this.”_

“ _Two days later and now you’re worrying about this? Grindor, it’s too late to be having second thoughts.”_ High Wire said. After a moment, he added, “ _And besides, you should be more worried about what Sureshock would do to us if she catches wind of this.”_

“Here we are guys!” Gina said as they came upon their designated area in the fair. It was just a small space between two other exhibits, one with a tiny dancing robot with amazing flexibility and another with a perfect robotic replica of a tarantula. “You guys doing okay?”

 “What do you think?” Grindor grumbled.

 “Don’t be like that. I know this makes you uncomfortable, but just follow the plan and let me do the rest. You’re doing great already.” Gina whispered to the two Minicons.

 “Gina?”

 Gina looked over her shoulder to see Kevin walked through the crowd with a hot dog in hand. The tall boy gave her a wave, which she returned. “Hey, Kevin! Wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

 “Penny dragged me here to unveil her masterpiece as she calls it.” Kevin chuckled. “And I didn’t think you were going to come either. Penny said that you were fresh out of tricks in your magic hat.”

 “Hmph, shows what she knows. I was just making finishing touches on my two newest creations.” Gina stepped aside and waved to the Minicons. “Tada!”

 Kevin blinked at the two Minicons, just now noticing them. He got closer and leaned in to inspect them, and High Wire had to keep himself from leaning back when Kevin got a bit too close. Looking the little mechs up and down, Kevin couldn’t help but ask, “You made them?”

 “Yup! That’s all me.” Gina said proudly. “They started as just a little pet project that just got out of hand.”

 “That’s amazing detail. I can see you put a lot of work into them.” Kevin praised. He raised an eyebrow at the vehicle parts on the Minicons. “But what’s with the vehicle parts? You just weld them on or something?”

 “Oh that, uh,” Gina didn’t take that into consideration. Thankfully she was quick on the draw for an explanation. “It’s just a little artistic touch I added for effect. Since Darren and Annie weren’t using their old bikes and stuff, I decided to use the spare parts to put on these little guys. Doesn’t hurt to be creative.”

 “If you think that’s creative, then I’m a martial arts master.” A cocky voice laughed behind her.

 “Hello, Penny.” Gina sighed as she faced her “archenemy”. Penny walked out of the crowd with that same self serving smirk on her face, which only grew as she set eyes on the Minicons. “Good to see you’re still here.”

 “And it’s good to know you’re still finding ways to embarrass yourself. What in god’s name are those things?” Penny chuckled.

 “They’re Mini-I mean, they’re my little fighting machines, made by yours truly. What of it?” Gina grumbled.

 “What of it? Girl, those things look like you welded them together from junkyard scraps.”

 ‘I’m gonna kill this glitch.’ Grindor thought.

 ‘I mean, your technological skills are less than mine, but I thought you’d at least put up some effort for the little kiddies coming here for the show.” Penny laughed.

 “Penny, tone it down.” Kevin admonished. She waved him off.

 “I’ll have you know that these little guys are the most advanced bots in my arsenal. They’re a combination of practicality and art and no one here has created anything like them or ever will.” Gina smiled haughtily. “So you can take your petty insults and shove them where the sun don’t shine…sista!”

 ‘Ohh! Burn!’ Grindor cheered mentally.

 Penny hardly looked impressed, though her eyebrow was ticking a little. “If that’s the best you can do, then I was wrong to be so concerned. I can hardly upstage you when there’s nothing to upstage.”

 “Stop your pointless boasting and show me what new toaster you’ve cooked up for the kiddies.” Gina said. Penny smirked and pressed a button on her watch.

 Gina raised an eyebrow at that, but then her confident expression plummeted as she saw a large form lumbering through the crowd. It was a robot, but totally different from the Minicons; its armor was dark purple and rigid like a samurai’s armor, centered mostly around the shoulders and chest. Its head sported a samurai helmet with a kanji symbol on the side, and yellow eyes that glared down at Gina. Its most defining feature was that it was almost twelve feet tall and built like a boxer with large steel fists.

 ‘What the hell?!’ High Wire and Grindor thought.

 “Gina, I want you to meet Zeus, my first generation combat robot.” Penny said proudly. “Took me a year and a half and a lot of allowances for the components to complete him, but I finished him just last week. My pride and joy into the world of robotics. What do you think?”

 “Why does it look like a Nipponese boxer?” Gina asked without thinking.

 “He’s a combat robot, Harpy. He fights, so I built him up to be a fighter.” She replied. That was when Penny got an idea. “Say, how about a little match between one of your little bots against my champion over here? That’d make for a decent show.”

 “F-fight him? That thing?” Gina blinked up at the menacing looking robot that looked like it was modeled after a comic book character (and she pretty sure it was). While she knew the Minicons were strong in their gestalt form, Goldfire, individually, they were pretty lacking. Not that she would say that out loud.

 “Yeah, why not? I’m sure despite their shoddy construction they’ll at least know how to fight.” Penny smirked. “You did program them to fight right? You’re at least competent in that regard, right?”

 ‘Oh damn.’ Kevin sighed.

 “I am competent in that field, Penny. Thank you for asking. Now allow me to accept your challenge with grace, unlike that huge lumbering brute you’ve built, these little guys can kiss Zeus’ ass from here to Olympus in half an hour!” Gina took a stance and pointed a finger into Penny’s startled face. “Let’s do this! Your bot versus my bot! I’m betting 50 dollars that your tin can won’t even last against mine.”

 ‘No, Gina.’ High Wire groaned internally. Not even an hour and things were already getting out of control. ‘Maybe I can get Grindor to call up Annie and-‘

 He looked over at Grindor, who was cracking his knuckles. There goes that idea.

XXXXXX

 “Prime, we’ve got an energon signal in the Great Plains.” Prowl reported, his eyes quickly skimming the monitor in the computer hub. “And sat links show that the Cons are already on the scene. Three of them.”

 “Can we get an ID on them?” Optimus asked.

 “No, at least not yet.” Prowl answered. “I’ll send Ironhide and-“

 “We can handle it!” Bulkhead’s bellow startled Optimus and Prowl as he appeared in the doorway with Wheeljack. “The two of us can handle them just fine!”

 “Bulkhead…are you all right?” Optimus asked slowly.

 “Never better, boss. Just give us the go ahead and we’ll secure that energon no problem!” Bulkhead said exuberantly.

 Prowl narrowed his eyes and looked at Wheeljack, who gave him a pleading look. Prowl looked at Optimus, who was silent before nodding his consent.

 “Very well. Bulkhead, Wheeljack, you will deploy at once to disrupt their mining operation.” Optimus said. “Get to the ground bridge and-“

 “Already on it!” Bulkhead whooped before running down the hall, shaking the floor with his massive footsteps. Wheeljack chuckled nervously and backed away.

 “I’ll…keep an eye on him. We won’t be gone long.” He said before running after Bulkhead.

 Optimus and Prowl stared after them in silence before looking at each other. “I wonder what that was all about.” Optimus said.

 “Whatever it was, I hope it doesn’t disrupt the mission.” Prowl said and turned back to the computer. “We have enough bouts of madness on this ship as it is.”

XXXXXX

 Despite what propaganda vids tell you, the life of a Seeker wasn’t all that exciting. If you weren’t a member of Starscream’s immediate squadron, then you were most likely a part of some wayward outpost or base where you would be sent on sporadic flight missions. It wasn’t all explosions and glory and patriotism, as Thundercracker was now experiencing.

 Watching Knockout drill into the side of a canyon for a cache of energon that may not even be useful to them was incredibly dull, and trying to hold a conversation with Lugnut was really infuriating.

 “You lie!” Lugnut bellowed.

 “I’m totally not lying. These creatures were almost as large as Omega Supreme and one of those little bastards thought I was some remote control toy.” Thundercracker said. He was passing the time with his fellow Con by telling the big lug a story of one of his most embarrassing missions to an alien world. “Now, Thrust and Ramjet were as useless as you’d think they’d be in this situation, and Slipstream, the little glitch, was too busy laughing to do anything for me as I was being pulled and twisted like some damn action figure.”

 “Ha! That would’ve been something to see.” Lugnut laughed. “Not every day when you see an almighty Seeker being treated like a toy.”

 “Laugh it up, but you’ll be singing a different tune when you run into a big baddie like Superion and he starts pullin’ on those huge arms of yours.” Thundercracker grumbled.

 As they chatted, Wheeljack and Bulkhead watched them from the cliff right above their position. Wheeljack had to keep his friend from jumping in on them and blasting willy nilly. The big green Autobot was already shifting in place like a kid wanting to go to the bathroom.

 “Can we get ‘em now?” Bulkhead whispered. “I’m getting twitchy.”

 “No yet, Bulk. We got to wait for them to uncover the energon.” Wheeljack said. “Just sit tight and wait for my mark.”

 “I’m tryin’, but its torture.” The former Wrecker whined.

 “Look, I’m just saying that as cool as those exploding bomb hands are, they blow up in your face more often than not.” Thundercracker said. “Seriously, I’ve heard about your time on Viruna. All it took was one little poke and you almost lost that arm.”

 “I’m not replacing my POKE! They are my weapons which deliver righteous fury to Lord Megatron’s enemies!” Lugnut shouted.

 “Yes, yes, I know. You won’t shut up about them.” Thundercracker rolled his eyes.

 “If you two don’t mind,” Knockout said as he stopped the drill and glared back at them. “I’m trying to work here you lazy bums! Its bad enough I have to work in the middle of this paint peeling heat, I don’t need you two morons caveman grunting interrupting my thought process!”

 “Your thought process centers only around what kind of wax job you’re getting this evening, Knockout.” Thundercracker retorted. “Now, the energon.”

 “I’ve just hit a vein, and it looks pretty deep. I think we caught a good one here.” Knockout said bored. Then he noticed that it was getting darker. “Hold on, why is getting dark around here? It’s still noo-“

 Knockout never got to finish his sentence as a large green jeep fell on him, smashing his body into the ground. Bulkhead came descending on him like a meteor and his weight mixed with the velocity of his fall nearly turned Knockout into a pile of compacted scrap metal. It took Thundercracker and Lugnut a few minutes to process what happened before they drew their weapons on him.

 “Don’t move Auto-“ Thundercracker was similarly cut off when an energo-whip wrapped around his neck and yanked him off his feet. Wheeljack, sliding down the canyon wall, fired a shell from one of his shoulder cannons into the Seeker’s chest, blasting him away from Lugnut.

 “Filthy little Autobot! I’ll mount your head on Lord Megatron’s throne!” Lugnut growled, glaring up at Wheeljack. This momentary distraction allowed Bulkhead to transformed and jump up from the crater he left in his fall to slam himself into Lugnut’s chest.

 “You can try and fail dingbat!” Bulkhead said before his turned his hand into his wrecking ball and slammed it into Lugnut’s face. “Cause I’m just getting started!”

XXXXXX

 “I swear to Primus, Gina, this idea of yours is getting out of control!” High Wire hissed.

 “Hush! I’m not letting that little snit insult my honor as a scientist of the practical arts.” Gina whispered to him. She was kneeled behind Grindor pretending to check out the “controls” for his remote. “Grindor can handle that thing no problem. Right, Grindor?”

 “I’m gonna kick his ass!” Grindor said.

 “See? He’s up for it.”

 “His opinion is irrelevant. Gina, you’re going to blow our cover.”

 “If things look dicey, I’ll concede and take you both back home. But right now, its robot fighting time!” Gina shouted the last part, stepping back to allow Grindor to face his opponent.

 A sizable crowd had assembled around the two robots, with Gina on one side and Penny on the other. Now, this wasn’t a planned event or anything, but the amount of people it drew led to the fair organizers to at least set up a faux ring around the combatants to protect the crowd. Those who got their first got a front row seat to the science fair’s first ever robot fight match. Kevin stood on Penny’s side recording it on a camcorder that Penny had gotten from…somewhere.

 “Are you finally ready fine tuning your tin can, Gina?” Penny asked. “Zeus is starting to rust over here.”

 “Grindor is always ready for a fight? Ain’t that right, little guy?” Gina asked. Grindor gave her a series of beeps, using his Minicon code language to fake robo-speak.

 Penny tested out her controls and had Zeus throw a couple of punches. The large robot moved fluidly that Gina thought it would, making her bite her lip.

 ‘I have confidence in Grindor, but that thing looks really well made. Penny always had a knack for making robots better than me.’ She thought. With a grunt, she slapped her cheeks to focus. ‘Doesn’t matter! Get your head in the game girl, your honor is at stake here!’

 “We’ll send out bots out on three!” Penny yelled over the loud cheers of the people watching. “One…two…three!”

 “Onward and upward, Grindor!” Gina said as she pressed a button on her remote and “moved” Grindor forward. The Minicon didn’t waste time in charging at Zeus, who walked forward at an even pace in its robotic stride.

 ‘He’s mine!’ Grindor leapt up and threw a punch at Zeus’ head, but before he could make contact, Zeus moved faster, leaning back to avoid his fist and punching Grindor in the side.

 Gina and High Wire watched in shock as Grindor hit the ground face first and landed on his back. Grindor himself looked shellshocked at being clocked in the face like that and Gina had to make of show of pressing the button to get him back up again. He rubbed his aching side and glared at Zeus.

 “That was an embarrassing way to start a fight.” Penny said dryly. “For a girl who likes RPGs, you really know jack about fighting, huh?”

 “Frag you, Penny!” Gina yelled. “Grindor, kick his ass!”

 ‘No, Gina.’ High Wire groaned mentally. He saw Grindor get to his feet and jump at Zeus, who threw a metal fist at his head.

 Grindor ducked under it and punched Zeus in the side, denting the armor just under its shoulder joint. Zeus retaliated with an uppercut that caught Grindor in the face and knocked him back. Stunned, he was unprepared for the sudden assault the robot gave him, which were basically a series of boxing punches that hit harder than he thought. Before she even showed Zeus to her friends, Penny made sure to field test her robot using training dummies, downloading basic combat information into its hard drive. That, and the fact its fist were fashioned into stylized boxing gloves made of steel allowed it to hit so hard that even a Minicon could feel it.

 “Come on, Gina. I expected better than this.” Penny sighed. “Honestly, next time we have a fair, you should try building a robot that’s not so damn weak.”

 ‘That’s it!’ Grindor thought. He hit the ground again and rolled to the side to avoid a stomp from Zeus. Rolling to his knees, he spun around and punched Zeus right in its right kneecap, his fist causing the steel plated joint to bend unnaturally and cause the robot to lean on its right unbalanced.

 The cheering stopped as they saw the Minicon do what they thought was impossible. Only Gina had enough sense to take a quick picture of Penny’s shocked face with her phone before pressing another button. Grindor leaped to his feet and climbed onto its back, punching Zeus in the side of its head.

 “Get off!” Penn growled.

 Zeus swayed unsteadily to dislodge Grindor, and when it started punching back at him, Grindor flipped off its back and grabbed one of its arms. Swinging one of his legs around, he kicked one of the joints hard enough to completely shatter the elbow. Penny watched horrified as her precious robot lost an arm that cost almost as much as her dad’s car.

 “Come on! Fight back!” She grumbled, pressing buttons on her remote. Kevin bit his lip and inched away from the mad girl.

 “Hit it harder, Grindor! Beat it down!” Gina yelled, hopping up and down in glee.

 Grindor was having the time of his life as he used the arm he tore off to smack Zeus in the face repeatedly, hitting it hard enough to dent its helmet. When Zeus tried to punch him with his left arm, Grindor ducked under its fist and smacked its arm away and hopped onto its back. Grabbing onto its helmet and pulled as hard as he could. One thing about Minicons you could be sure about, as small as they were, they were still strong. And Grindor demonstrated this for the entertained crowd as he brutally pulled Zeus’ head off and rode the body to the ground.

 Everyone stared at the Minicon holding his opponent’s severed head in the air as a trophy, and they were all silent before cheering loudly. Boys and girls and even adults were hooting and hollering at the impressive robot fight at a science fair that was honestly a bit dull to those who weren’t interested in robotics. Grindor flexed his arms and showed the riled up crowd Zeus’ head.

 “He actually did it.” High Wire muttered.

 “I…what…” Penny stammered. “How the hell did he beat Zeus?”

 “Its okay, Penny. I’m here.” Kevin patted her shoulder and guided the shell-shocked girl over to what was left of her very, _very,_ expensive robot.

 “B-But, I programmed him after world class fighter! How the hell did that little piece of scrap metal beat him?” Penny’s eyes started leaking tears as she knelt in front of Zeus’ headless body. “All that work! I wasted two months’ worth of weekly allowance building this damn thing!”

 ‘That’s a hefty allowance.’ Kevin thought.

 “That’s right, Pincher. I win, and you lose. Your Getter Robo ain’t got jack on my Mazinger Z, sucka!” Gina screamed and hugged Grindor as tight as she could. “And they said Burning Justice only existed in anime! Grindor you’re the best!”

 “GINA!!!”

 Gina and Grindor froze as they heard a very angry yell over the boisterous crowd. Looking back over to where High Wire was, the duo paled as they saw a very displeased Darren and Annie standing there beside the Minicon.

 “Oh scrap.” They said in unison.

XXXXXX

 “Die Autobot!” Lugnut roared, pulling out his magnetic hammer and swinging it at Bulkhead’s head.

 Bulkhead charged forward and swung his wrecking ball, and the two objects slammed into one another with tremendous force. A shockwave rippled throughout the canyon and actually caused the ground to crack under them. Bulkhead jumped back and fired his wrecking ball at Lugnut, hitting the mech in the chest. Lugnut toughed it out, but he wasn’t prepared for Bulkhead rushing into him and slamming his shoulder into his chest. The two mechs fell to the ground and grappled with each other before Lugnut kicked Bulkhead off.

 “You’re eager to die, Bulkhead.” Lugnut said, flexing his three fingered hands as they gripped his mace.

 “Don’t flatter yourself. You just caught me on a good day, which is bad news for you!”

 Lugnut gave a laugh and opened up the panels on his back to release a volley of missiles at Bulkhead, who surprisingly met the assault head on without any regard for his personal safety.

 Thundercracker was doing his best against Wheeljack, who was hitting the larger Con with a combination of variable ammo from his arm blasters and shells from his launchers. The blue Seeker couldn’t help but marvel at the unholy arsenal this Autobot was packing. He heard enough horror stories from Skywarp about this guy to know not to underestimate him.

 “What’s the matter, Thundercracker? I thought Seeker were always the first ones to strike first.” Wheeljack said, spinning his energo-whip.

 “I know what you did to Skywarp. Unlike him, I’m not going to play your games.” Thundercracker said.

 “You say that like you have a choice.” Wheeljack replied.

 Thundercracker glanced at Lugnut behind Wheeljack and saw that he was having some difficulty handling Bulkhead for some reason. To his partner’s credit, the green Autobot was moving surprisingly faster than he should’ve been with his bulky form. Scowling, Thundercracker decided to throw his partner a bone and boosted forward, gliding on high power jet thrusters as he leapt over Wheeljack and fired two neutron lasers from his arm cannons at Bulkhead. The least he could do is help the dumb bastard out.

 “Bulkhead!” Wheeljack ran forward and fired a shell from his shoulder launcher. Moving faster than the lasers, the shell acting as a decoy, letting the lasers hit it on target and exploding into millions of sharp fragments that flew everywhere.

 Bulkhead heard his friend’s shout and acted quickly, grabbed Lugnut and forcing him in front of his body to act as a shield. Lugnut howled in anger as he was stabbed dozens of times by tiny filaments that dug into his armor and joints. Painful and irritating in equal measure, and distracted him greatly. Bulkhead gave his partner a grin before turning back to punch Lugnut in the eye.

 Wheeljack sagged in relief at the crisis they barely avoided, then he heard the deafening howl of jet engines behind him and looked back to see Thundercracker flying straight at him in jet mode.

 “Scrap!” Wheeljack dived to the side to avoid the rapid fire of Thundercracker’s Vulcan guns that tore apart the ground where he once stood. Letting the Seeker pass over him, Wheeljack fired a grappling hook from his left wrist and hooked onto Thundercracker’s right wing. He yelped as he was pulled violently off the ground and was pulled through the air by the Seeker.

 ‘How the hell did Bumblebee do this with Starscream?’ Wheeljack thought as he tried to hang on for dear life. This was terrifying! Thundercracker noticed his stowaway and tried to shake him off with flashy maneuvers and barrel rolls.

 “No free rides, you little glitch!” Thundercracker growled. He spun and turned in the air like an arrow, performing sharp aerial maneuvers no terran aircraft or pilot could handle at such speeds.

 After a short while, in which Wheeljack somehow didn’t fall or get scrapped off on the canyon walls, Thundercracker decided on a more direct approach. Flying straight up, he cut his engines and allowed himself to fall downward, pointing his nose straight at Wheeljack, who was positioned right under him. As his grappling hook lost its grip from the move, Wheeljack realized what he planned to do and quickly thought of something.

 “This is going to hurt.” He muttered as he prepared to fire his hook again. Just as he saw Thundercracker prime his missiles, Wheeljack fired his hook into the Seeker’s nose and pulled himself upward.

 “What are you doing?” Thundercracker asked, not liking what the Autobot was doing.

 “Winning!” Was Wheeljack’s reply as he brought out his other cannon and fired a little custom made surprise of his. It was an EMP charge built into a shell that zeroed in on heat signatures. With Thundercracker being the closest heat signature in range, the missile went straight for him, too fast to avoid.

 “No-gah!” Thundercracker was hit dead center by the shell and his body was engulfed in a powerful debilitating EMP surge that caused his systems to shut down immediately. Wheeljack grinned as he saw that his plan worked.

 “Now here comes the hard part,” He looked down at the ground almost two stories below him. “The landing.”

 Bulkhead danced around Lugnut like Jazz would do as he avoided Lugnut’s frenzied attacks. His armor was scorched and burnt from the micro-missiles fired at him from earlier, but he was still running on overcharge as he pummeled his enemy. Meanwhile, Lugnut was starting to tire out.

 “Stand still, Autobot!” Lugnut growled, swinging his mace wildly. “You fight like a coward!”

 “And you fight like a color blind gladiator!” Bulkhead grinned.

 “Tough talk for a retired Wrecker too dumb and stupid for a suicide squad!” Lugnut retorted.

 Taken back by the surprisingly clever reply, Bulkhead growled and changed his other hand into a blaster. He prepared to charge when he heard a cry from above.

 “Incoming!”

 Bulkhead looked up and saw Wheeljack riding the inert Thundercracker down like a makeshift parachute. He jumped away as Wheeljack also jumped off Thundercracker, letting the Seeker crash into Lugnut, hitting him right on top of his noggin. The two Cons hit the ground hard enough to kick up a cloud of dust. Bulkhead caught Wheeljack and placed him on his feet.

 “Whoa. That’s some landing.” Bulkhead whistled.

 “I’ll say. Never doing that again. ” Wheeljack said. He looked over at the uncovered energon dig up for them. “Let’s call it in and go home. I’m beat after that flight.”

 “Go home? No way! I’m still fired up!” Bulkhead slammed his fists together with an excited grin. “Call up Teletran so we can see who else needs their heads caved in!”

 Wheeljack groaned and sagged his shoulders. “This was going to be a long day for him.

XXXXXX

 ‘I am so screwed.’ Gina thought nervously as she saw Darren and Annie march towards her. The twins had never looked so similar as they did now, green eyes flashing angrily as they prepared to give her a piece of their mind.

Annie grabbed Grindor’s hand and dragged him away, pushing past the still excited onlookers who wanted a close look at the star bot who kicked ass in public. Darren also grabbed High Wire’s hand, but gave some parting words to Gina.

 “Meet us in the parking lot. We all need to have a talk in private.” He said and walked away with his Minicon.

 Gina sighed and looked down at her feet, knowing that no amount of puppy-dog eyes can help her out of this one. Kevin walked up to her with a despondent Penny carting her damaged Zeus on a large red wagon (she couldn’t even afford a proper trolley at this point).

 “Was that Darren and Annie? What were they so mad about?” He asked.

 “You don’t want to know. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go salvage a relationship.” Gina said. “See ya, Kev.”

 “Yeah.” Kevin said as he watched her go. Whatever it was, it must’ve been bad enough to kill her buzz from winning that fight. Behind him, he heard Penny give a dramatic gasp and scream at Gina’s back.

 “Where the hell is Zeus’s head?”

 In the parking lot, Gina faced the wrathful scolding of not just the twins, but also her best friend Sureshock, who was so angry she was spewing black smoke from her exhaust.

 “How could you be so irresponsible, Gina? What you did was extremely risky and dangerous,” Sureshock said. “Not just to yourself, but also to High Wire and Grindor.”

 “She’s right, Gina. This stunt you pulled was ballsy, even by my standards.” Annie said, crossing her arms.

 “I know, and I am so sorry for putting the Minicons at risk. I...I just wasn’t thinking.” Gina said, wincing at how lame it sounded.

 “No, you were thinking. Just not with common sense.” Darren said harshly. “Do you realize how much risk you could’ve put our relationship with the Autobots and Minicons? If they learned of this, they would never have trusted us again. Prowl would make our lives a living hell.”

 “Not to mention Sparkplug. He would’ve been livid.” Annie said.

 “You guys didn’t tell him?” Grindor asked.

 “No, this is our problem. Gina, you know that dealing with Penny lowers your IQ to that of a five year old with a grudge, you shouldn’t have let this get to you.” Darren said. Seeing Gina’s watery eyes, he sighed and patted her shoulder. “This is the only time you will ever do this. Understand? We can’t risk the Minicons being discovered as more than just robots.”

 “I know. And I’m so, so sorry about all of this. I was just…my pride was on the line. And something stupid like that.” Gina explained. “Jinkies, it sounds worse when I speak it out loud.”

 “Let’s all just head back home before Grindor’s fans chase us out here.” Sureshock said, turning her front wheel to her teammates. “As for you two, we’re also going to have a talk about giving in to peer pressure!”

 “Oh man.” Grindor groaned.

 “This is what I get for helping out a friend.” High Wire sighed and reverted to vehicle mode. “It’s just not worth it.”

XXXXXX

 “You two look like hell.”

 Wheeljack groaned in response to Ironhide’s crass comment as he and Bulkhead slinked out of the ground bridge looking like they ran a marathon through the Sea of Rust without protective gear. Ironhide watched them both slink past a confused Bumblebee as they walked into the shuttle bay.

 “Yo Bulk, you up for some sparring? I wanna see how much damage your wrecking ball can take from my axe.” Ironhide said.

 “Not tonight, Hide. I’m up for some Zs.” Bulkhead yawned. He slowly walked out of the room saying, “Maybe tomorrow.”

 “Fine with me.” Ironhide grinned. He glanced over at Wheeljack. “Looks like your little master plan actually worked. Lucky you.”

 “Yeah, lucky me.” Wheeljack sighed. Ironhide then whacked him behind his head, making him bend over from the painful blow. “Ow! What the hell, Ironhide!”

 “That’s for making me your test dummy for the past three nights, you son of a glitch!” Ironhide growled and pushed past him to leave the room. “Just for that, you’re scheduled a few rounds in the ring with yours truly. Let’s see your cooky creations save your ass this time around!”

 As Ironhide left the room for a much needed drink, Wheeljack rolled his head and sank to his knees in exhaustion. The things he did for friendship. An engineer’s work was never done.


	9. Legacy

Chapter 8-Legacy

 It was a bright and sunny Tuesday afternoon and Annie was spending her detention writing her history report-again. It was a strange sight if you knew the young girl, whose only favorite part of school was physical education. Not many people gave her credit, but she did care about her schoolwork-so long as it was something she cared about. In this case, it was Norse culture.

 Annie always had a fascination with the Norse tribes who inhabited the snowy wastelands of Belka. The two tribes, the Aesir and the Vanir, who warred for many years before uniting their tribes as one force to protect their homeland from foreign invaders. There were stories of gods fighting giants, world encircling serpents and Ragnarock, things that was just the kind of thing to catch the attention of the hyperactive girl. Funny enough, the war between the Autobots and Decepticons reminded her of those myths.

 Annie had written a seven page report on the Asguardians (the united Aesir/Vanir tribes) and was supposed to submit it today, but she somehow misplaced it. Of course the teacher didn’t believe her genuine truth, and now she was rewriting the damn thing. Fortunately, she knew her report by heart at this point, and was already almost finished. Though she would rather be off-roading with Bulkhead than wasting away in this place.

 Annie lifted her head when she heard her favorite rock band blasting from the school parking lot and smirked. That was her signal to get the hell out of there. “Right on time.”

 With the skill and stealth a ninja would be envious of, Annie snuck out of the classroom when the teacher was away on a bathroom break and ran for her locker. She quickly threw it open and pulled out Grindor, who was roused from his nap when he was placed on the floor.

 “Whoa, hey Annie. What’s the rush?” He asked.

 “Nothing, just trying to get the hell out of dodge.” Annie whispered hurriedly.

 She ran down the hall and practically burst through the front doors as she made her way towards Bulkhead, who popped open his door for her. She tossed Grindor into the back seat before jumping into her favorite position in the front seat.

 “What’s the hurry?” Bulkhead asked.

 “Nothing, just happy to see you.” Annie said, lying through her teeth. She leaned back and listened to the music. “Hey, crank this up, will you?”

 Bulkhead did the opposite, lowering the volume until it was barely audible. “That was quick. Did detention end early?”

 “Well…” She glanced out the window and cursed. It was her detention teacher sprinting out of the school looking for her. “Oh damn, here comes the wicked witch and she does not look happy.” She muttered. The teacher spotted the green SUV and marched towards them. “Step on it, Bulk!”

 Bulkhead grumbled but kicked it in gear, driving out of the parking lot and down the street. Once they were far enough from the school, Bulkhead scolded Annie.

 “Annie, I’m not your getaway car. You can’t just cut detention like that. What would your parents say?”

 “Bulk, my parents are dead and my big sister is too busy to really give a damn about what goes on in my school life.” Annie said bluntly.

 “Oh…uh…” Bulkhead had nothing for that. Seeing that the Autobot was getting uncomfortable, Grindor entered the conversation.

 “Well, don’t you want to go to that uni…what’s it called…collage?”

 “College, Grindor. And it wasn’t my fault I got detention. I had a report but then lost it. As far as I’m concerned, I’m innocent.”

 Bulkhead sighed, wondering if this was what Wheeljack had to deal with when they first met.

XXXXXX

 Gina stood on a platform next to the ground bridge controls with her laptop hooked up to the console. She was on bridge duty under Ratchet’s watch while he monitored Teletran-1. It was something she had taken to doing, acting as Ratchet’s little assistant whenever Longarm or Bumblebee were busy.

 “Gina, I’ve got a bridge request from Bulkhead.”

 “Got it.”

 She typed in a command and pressed ENTER, activated the ground bridge and allowing Bulkhead to drive out of the portal. Once he let Annie and Grindor out, he transformed and followed after them. Gina then noticed they were in a heated conversation.

 “Look Annie, I’m only looking out for you. Your sister and I just don’t want you doing something that’s going to get you put in jail or worse.” Bulkhead said.

 “Ugh, you sound just like Debbie. I’m not going to turn into a delinquent, Bulk, so spare me the weepy speeches.” Annie sighed. She tried to walk away, but Bulkhead stepped in her path.

 “Annie, you don’t pay attention, you might not get a choice at what you want to be in the future. Like me.” He said. He bent over her and jabbed a thumb at his chest. “Before the war, I was a laborer, construction. I could build stuff, I could break stuff. That’s it. It was something I was chosen to do because of my alt mode, not because I wanted to.”

 “You were a demolition bot? That’s sweet!” Annie grinned. “I wanna be just like you, Bulk!”

 “Wha-no! I’m saying that I didn’t have a choice in choosing my job. They forced it on me without any regard for my personal preference. I liked it, sure, but I never had a say in my future. But you do and I want you to still have that choice when you grow up.”

 Annie pursed her lips and was about to reply when Ratchet’s voice spoke up. “Hmm, that’s odd.”

 “What is it, Ratchet?” Gina asked.

 “I’m detecting some odd energy readings from Belka. It’s not energon, but it’s not any known terrestrial sources I have in Teletran’s records.” Ratchet said. “I might need someone to check it out.”

 “I can do that, doc. I’m still running on a full tank.” Bulkhead said.

 “Belka? Sweet! I get to see the homeland of the Asguardian tribes!” Annie cheered. Bulkhead tried to talk her out of coming along, but Gina cut in.

 “Let her go along, Bulk. Annie’s a big girl who knows when to be careful.” Gina said and looked at her friend. “Annie, you better bundle up. The mountains in Belka are very cold around this time of year.”

XXXXXX

 Belka was a country in eastern Europa with a horrible history in warfare that left a dark legacy on the country. Bulkhead had heard little about the small but once powerful country, but according to Annie, there was a major war of conquest between Belka and the surrounding nations, which ended in its defeat and the subsequent nuclear bombings of their own territory in 1995. It was a dark moment in human history, and even today, much of the land south of Belka’s Waldreich Mountains were irradiated from nuclear fallout.

 Bulkhead had taken Annie and Grindor to a little town near the mountains where Ironhide was supposed to be. Since they had to wait for the Autobot, Annie figured that their time would be best spent at the local museum.

 Bulkhead didn’t think that Annie would want anything to do with museums after that little scuffle at the last one a few days ago, but she was more excited about seeing what the homeland of the Asguardians had in store for them. She practically dragged his Holomatter into the building and they made their way to the Norse exhibit, which was full of old artifacts like stone tablets, weapons, paintings and relics dug up from ancient battlefields and the like.

 They stood together  in the room looking at a display showing a small golden hammer with intricate carvings on it. Grindor was in his skateboard alt mode sitting snug in a harness on Annie’s back, and he could hear everything that was going on.

 “So what’s so special about a tiny hammer?” Bulkhead asked, looking at the hammer weirdly. “You can’t even use that thing with it being so short.”

 “That tiny hammer is the weapon of one of the mightiest warriors in human history. Mjolnir, the thunder hammer. Legend says it allowed the warrior Thor to harness the power of thunder itself to smite his enemies. Made him practically unstoppable.” Annie smiled. “Granted, this is only a supposed replica of what the real hammer is supposed to look like, since the real one has yet to be found.”

 “If it exists.” Grindor whispered.

 “It totally does!” Annie huffed.

 “Hey!”

 Ironhide’s voice rang loudly in the quiet hall and some people shushed him. He grunted at them and walked over to his friends.

 “Took you long enough.” Annie quipped. Ironhide glared down at her.

 “Watch it, kid.” He said. “Ratchet just located the energy surge again. It’s quite a long ways off from here.”

 “Then we better get a move on, then.” Annie chirped and made her way to the exit with Grindor. Ironhide glanced at Bulkhead with a frown.

 “Why is she with us again?” He asked.

 “Well…she did ask to come along.” Bulkhead replied. He didn’t want to admit that Annie used her cute little girl charms to weasel her way onto the mission.

 “Let’s just get this done before the kid freezes her aft off.”

 The two Autobots disengaged their Holomatter avatars and drove away from town into the frozen wilderness of Belka. They had no idea of the powerful forces awaiting them in the icy tundra.

XXXXXX

 It was early morning in Belka, and what a sight it was as the rising sun shined its radiance over the mountaintops on the scattered towns and cities down below. The light coating of snow on the landscape sparkled faintly as the Autobots drove along the countryside. Annie was not a girl to get teary eyed at a sunrise or something, but she did appreciate a little natural beauty every once in a while if she felt like it.

 “Ugh, I don’t know how humans can live in a place this cold.” Grindor said, leaning back in his seat. “I’m made of metal and I’m freezing my aft here.”

 “Perseverance, Grindor. The Norse tribes of Belka didn’t come this far into the mountains unless it was for religious rites or during the summer. We’re lucky winter is almost over in this part of the world or else we’d be knee deep in snow by now.” Annie said. “Out here, only the strong survive. And the Norsemen were the strongest warriors of their age.”

 “You really like these guys, don’t you?” Bulkhead noted.

 “Hell yeah! These guys embody everything I want to be. They’re strong, they’re fearless, and they’re heroes. They have great power and use it to help people, like gods.” Annie sighed and leaned her head against the window. “It’s why I want to be an espers. So I can have the power to help people, like a hero.”

 “Annie, you don’t need powers to be a hero. Look at us, we’re doing pretty damn good without fancy powers.” Grindor said proudly.

 “And aren’t espers being discriminated against?” Bulkhead asked. “They’re getting a pretty bad rap these days from almost everyone.”

 “I know that, but I’m going to be different. I’ll use my powers for good and show them that not all amalgams are evil. Unlike _some_ people, I won’t hide my powers and pretend to be something I’m not.” She said bitterly.

 Bulkhead noticed her sudden change in demeanor and knew they were treading personal territory. He definitely didn’t want to get involved in those kinds of issues.

“Word from the wise, kid, you’re better off without any powers.” Ironhide said. “You rely on them too much and they’ll konk out on you when you need them the most. The only thing power does is corrupt, and I’m sure those Belkan heroes you worship are as squeaky clean as you like to think.”

 ‘Sure, sometimes power corrupts, but it’s still better than holding it back and doing nothing with it.’ Annie thought.

 It was a constant source of contention between her and Darren. She was annoyed that he would hide his powers and not even use them most of the time. She hated that he would pretend that he was normal, when he had a chance to be so much more. And she really despised how he preferred to be some weak human instead of a powerful espers who would never be bullied or threatened ever again. Annie didn’t want to be like Darren.

 She didn’t want to be weak like her brother. She wanted to be strong. Strong so that she would never feel pain ever again.

XXXXXX

 Deep in the frozen wilderness of eastern Belka laid the temple of the Aesir. A holy place of in Asguardian culture, the temple was a place of worship where Aesir tribes would travel great distances to offer prayers to their pagan gods of old, long before the creation of the Chantry and the rise of Andraste. It was a mighty, imposing structure sitting atop a cliff, built in a time where Mother Earth met Father Sky by mortal and immortal hands.

 Since the fall of the Norse tribes centuries ago, humans stopped coming to the temple, leaving it forgotten and abandoned as a monument of a time of gods and men. However, it was still inhabited by forces nowhere near human, or even mortal. The temple was now home to a powerful being whose true name was incomprehensible to human tongue. Translated by terran language, his name among many was Michael. His body was large and strong, made of stone with various pieces of ore sticking out of his body. His skin was like marble, and his face was that of an old wise man with one eye that gleamed like the north star. To a human, he would look like a statue…if not for the fact that he was moving.

 He sat on his throne, his awareness spread across the eastern mountain range of Belka, extending to the very edge of his domain. He sat like this for thousands of years, long after the fall of the two tribes and the nuclear razing of the southern regions of the Waldreich Mountains. Nothing of interest had caught his attention, until now.

 When he sensed two powerful auras enter his domain, Michael sat up in his throne of gold. A vision came to his mind, images brought back to him through the life stream of the world. They flickered into existence without warning, and their appearance and very nature caught him off guard…something he did not like. He didn’t like the abnormal nature of these beings, and he certainly didn’t like this oddly familiar feeling their presence invoked within him. It stirred emotions he hadn’t felt for ages, the strongest among them being rage. Who were these false gods who entered his kingdom of ice? What did they want?

 “ _Raphael_ ,” He said in a very deep, booming voice that sounded like thunder. A tall, slender yet masculine form appeared next to him. This being was made of stone just like him, but his skin was mostly formed of a type of sapphire that reflected light off its smooth surface. “ _Find these intruders and eradicate them. Bring their bodies to me so that I may see what manner of creatures they are.”_

 “ _As you command,”_ Raphael’s body began to shimmer as it vanished into thin air. “ _So it shall be done.”_

 Michael watched his fellow god disappear and leaned forward on his throne. Whoever chose to make the mistake of intruding upon his sovereignty while portraying themselves as gods will pay dearly…with their lives!

XXXXXX

 It wasn’t long before the novelty of watching the sun-soaked snowy landscape and the mountainous scenery pass by wore off and Annie started getting bored. It got to the point where she gave the age old question, “Are we there yet?”

 “Almost, Annie. Don’t worry, we’ll get there soon. Right, Ironhide?” Bulkhead asked. Ironhide didn’t answer, instead the red Autobot rolled to a stop and fell behind, forcing Bulkhead to do the same. “Ironhide?”

 “Shh! Quiet!” Ironhide hissed. He switched to robot mode and fired up his arm cannons. Bulkhead let Annie and Grindor out before doing the same.

 “Ironhide, what’s wrong?” Grindor asked.

 “Something’s coming.” He said.

 “Cons?” Bulkhead asked, looking around.

 “No, something else.” Ironhide replied. “Get the two out of the firing range, Bulk. The fireworks are about to start.”

 “Grindor, you know the drill.” Bulkhead said to the Minicon.

 “Will do, big guy.” Grindor saluted and pulled Annie away from them over to a snowy drift, ignoring the girl’s cries of protest.

 Bulkhead and Ironhide looked around, waiting for whatever was coming. The winds died down and everything seemed to go quiet, which made everyone tense. Then they heard a loud roar that sounded like a high powered engine, and a stream of fire burst from the ground and shot towards them.

 “Break!” Bulkhead shouted and they jumped apart to avoid the streams that crashed into the spot they jumped from.

 The mass of flames slammed into the ground and swirled around in place before dispersing to reveal a creature they’ve never seen before. It was vaguely humanoid, but had a hunchback form with a lean body frame. Its skin was made of smooth stone and covered in deep red and gold armor that leaked flames from glowing veins of what looked like rubies in its skin. On its forearms were a pair of massive red and gold gauntlets coated in flames. Gold plating covered much of its torso, winding up around its neck and connecting the eyeless golden bird-like mask on its face. This creature’s name was Grace.

 “What the hell is that thing?” Ironhide said in shock. This thing looked really freaky, definitely unlike anything they’ve seen on Terra so far. And that was troubling coming from a mech with tons of off-world experience like him.

 Bulkhead also didn’t know what to do, but then he saw something flickering behind Ironhide and pulled him away. “Watch out!”

 A massive lightning bolt hit the spot Ironhide was just standing in and tore up the ground as it formed near Grace. A pillar of powerful lightning bolts spun around and formed another physical being that looked just like Grace, though its armor was gold and blue with electricity crackling from its claws. Its name was Glory.

 Grace and Glory, the swords of Raphael.

 The Autobots and creatures didn’t move, waiting for the other to make move first. Annie and Grindor watched, also keeping still out of some belief that they didn’t set things off. Then Bulkhead moved his foot a couple of centimeters back and that was the signal to kick things off.

 Grace gave a loud roar that sounded like a motorcycle revving up and leapt at Bulkhead with inhuman speed. Bulkhead had no time to raise his blaster as Grace brought its large claws down on him. Flames licked at his armor as he desperately tried to dodge each strike, and he retaliated with strong blows from his wrecking ball, slamming it into the creature’s lithe body. Grace was thrown back by the strong attack, but its body turned into flames and swirled around Bulkhead, rematerializing behind him. Bulkhead couldn’t move fast enough to block it as it dug its claws into his back, leaving burning gouges into his armor.

 Bulkhead grunted in pain, but still spun around and punched Grace in the chest. The punch was strong enough to knock some pieces of Grace’s armor off as it was sent rolling through the snow.

 Ironhide was also having a difficult time with his opponent. Glory was fast like lightning, its movements quick yet also precise, landing attacks on Ironhide before zipping to another location to deal another blow. Ironhide had already forgone using his cannons and just focused on using his war axes, swinging them at Glory whenever he appeared.

 Glory appeared behind Ironhide and lunged at him, only for him to spin around and bury the blade of his axe into Glory’s side. The energized blade easily cut into its stony hide, causing its flesh to crack, but the blade was stuck in its body. Glory grabbed Ironhide’s arm and delivered a strong electrical shock into his body.

 “Oh my god, they’re getting they’re asses kicked out there!” Annie gasped. She knew Bulkhead and Ironhide were no slouches when it came to combat, so seeing them get outmatched so easily was unnerving. “Isn’t there anything we can do?”

 “Like what? We’ll get killed if we get involved!” Grindor said. “Bulkhead said to hang back, so that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

 “Damn it.” Annie growled. She hated being useless like this!

XXXXXX

 Michael stood in front of a giant clean cut crystal watching the battle going on miles from the temple. Grace and Glory were living up to their reputations to the letter. He was overjoyed that they were winning against the invaders, but questions still plagued his mind.

 What were these metal giants? Where did they come from? He instinctively knew they were not of this world, for they did not synch with the planet’s energy. What was more frustrating was that something about them was a bit familiar, yet he had no idea. So many questions and no answers!

 Then he noticed something. Not too far from the battle were two smaller beings, a girl and some tiny automaton. Michael bristled; not only did these invaders intrude upon his territory, they also dragged a mortal along as some twisted plaything! Inconceivable! Did these creatures have no shame?

 Michael waved his hand and two giant birds, one made of gold and the other made of silver, appeared on the arms of his throne. Veins of crystalline ore ran along their bodies and their eyes were gemstones.

 “ _Cherubim, retrieve the mortal and her toy. Make sure no harm comes to them.”_ He ordered.

XXXXXX

 Bulkhead ducked another flaming swipe from Grace’s claws and reached out to grab its thin neck in his large hand. He winced as he felt its extremely hot stone skin burn even his thickly armored hands but didn’t let go. Grace didn’t even care that it was being strangled and grabbed Bulkhead’s arm to dig its claws into his wrist. The green Autobot gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the searing pain as he tightened his grip on the creature.

 Ironhide was grappling with Glory, his body still affected by the constant electrical jolts that it sent at him. A lesser Autobot would’ve collapsed from such an assault, but Ironhide was a stubborn old fool who had been through worse injuries in his career and wasn’t going to let this freaky thing smack him down. Breaking the grapple, he grabbed Glory’s right arm and squeezed as hard as he could until he felt its skin crack under his grip.

“Alright! That’s how you do it, Ironhide!” Annie cheered from the sidelines.

 Bulkhead was still trying to choke Grace with his hand, while Grace was still trying to burn his arm into molten slag. Having had enough of this monster trying to melt his arm, Bulkhead raised his other hand and slammed his fist onto his head. Dazed, Grace lost its hold on his arm and Bulkhead used his strength to crush its neck in his hand, hearing a sickening crunch that sounded like a boulder being smashed. Grace went limp and its body fell apart from its body.

 Ironhide grabbed Glory’s arms and kicked it hard enough in the chest to tear its arms off as it flew back. Sparkling crystalline powder spewed from the stumps as Glory stumbled back from its drastic injuries.

 “That’s right guys, show them whose boss!” Annie shouted as she ran from cover to cheer them on.

 “Annie, stay back!” Bulkhead ordered.

 Grindor went to get her as she stood there in the snow snorting as his supposedly unneeded concern. “Oh please, Bulk. You guys won! What else can happen out-ahhhhhh!”

 “Annie!” Bulkhead exclaimed as a giant bird made of gold swooped down from out of nowhere and grabbed Annie and Grindor in its talons.

 “Slag!” Ironhide raised his cannons to shoot the bird down, but a bolt of lightning hit him in the shoulder, throwing him off balance and knocking him to the ground. Behind him, the armless Glory wobbled towards him, electricity still lancing off its body. Snarling, Ironhide took out his war axe and buried it in its head, tearing it off.

 Bulkhead pointed his blaster at the bird to shoot it down, but it hesitated. With how it was moving, he wasn’t sure if he could shoot without harming Annie and Grindor. He failed to notice the other bird, Silver, attack him from behind, slicing into his shoulder with its talons. This gave Gold enough time to get higher into the air and fly away with its partner.

 “Bulkhead!” Annie cried out.

 “Annie!” Bulkhead yelled back.

 All he could do was stand there in energon stained snow and watch as the two birds flew off with his friends.

XXXXXX

 Annie and Grindor were roughly dropped onto the cold, icy ground inside the main hall of the temple they were taken to. The two birds dropped them into a hole at the top of the mountain fortress that sat near the edge of a cliff. Grindor helped Annie to her feet and they glared up at their kidnappers, who were already flying away from the chamber.

 “Stupid turkeys! Take us back right now!” She yelled after them. Obviously they didn’t listen to her as they vanished back out the hole they came through. Annie sighed and looked around at the ominous looking chamber they were now in. “Great, how are we going to get out of this one?”

 “ _Fear not, my lady. You are safe here.”_ A multi-faceted voice said from behind them.

 “Ah! Who said that?” Grindor asked. He and Annie looked around at their prison. It was a large cavern made of finely polished ice and crystal, though it felt really warm inside despite the freezing temperatures outside. “Show yourself!”

_“Do you presume to command me, machine?”_

The ground shook as large footsteps neared their position, and soon a large form, one a head taller than Bulkhead in height, entered the chamber through the two massive wooden doors. Annie and Grindor looked up at the tall being that approached them with trepidation and knew they were in big trouble. The being was clearly male from its muscular, humanoid physique, but he looked more like a finely carved statue with swirling patterns of crystal lining his hard skin. Angelic wings were folded on his back, and his face was impassive even as he spoke to them.

 “ _Who are you to speak to Uriel, the angel of war, as if you were his equal?”_

XXXXXX

 The weather outside in the valley where the two Autobots just had their battle was slowly getting worse by the second. It started to snow and the wind was picking up. They took refuge under a cliff as they planned their next move.

 “How’s your arm?” Bulkhead asked.

 “It’s fine, don’t worry. Looks worse than it feels.” Ironhide said, rolling his wounded shoulder. The bolt tore into his armor and grazed his inner circuitry and hydraulics. Had his armor not been as dense, he would’ve suffered more damage to his shoulder. “What about you? That thing did a number on you?”

 Bulkhead definitely had it worse than Ironhide. Grace’s attacks riddled his body with burns and gashes along his back and arms, warping his armor where its heated claws burned through. Bulkhead was a sturdy, hardy mech, so seeing him so damaged after one battle after those things showed just how strong they were.

 “I’m fine, but I’m more worried about Annie and Grindor. Those birds took to off to Primus knows where, and we need to find them!”

 Bulkhead tried to transform, but Ironhide stopped him. “And how do you plan to do that exactly? You don’t even know where they were taken.”

 “Well, I’m not just going to stand around while they could be hurt or worse!” Bulkhead shouted.

 “Bulkhead, you will stand down! That is an order!” Ironhide said with a hard tone. “You saw how easily those things threw us around. If there are more of them where they came from, we could be walking right into a slaughter. Then what will you do? Acting recklessly is not going to help anyone!” His eyes softened and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “We will get them back, Bulk, but we need to do this the smart way. Can you calm down for me?”

 Bulkhead, who was silent throughout the scolding, took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah…yeah, I can do that. sorry.” He apologized and looked out at the weather, which was getting worse. “So what do we do now?”

 “First, we need to focus on what direction those birds took Annie and Grindor. Once we get that sorted out, then we have something to go on.” Ironhide said.

 “I think they went north. I saw them going toward the mountains before I lost sight of them.”

 “North, okay. Maybe I can track Grindor’s biosignal. Hopefully the weather isn’t screwing around with the scanner.” Ironhide took out his locator and pointed it north. He was expecting the device to give him a positive reading on Grindor’s energon signal, not for it to go all the way to the red zone and start beeping erratically. “Ah scrap.”

 “What is it?” Bulkhead asked.

 “Bulkhead, remember how we were tracking that energy surge Ratchet detected earlier?”

 “Yeah, what about it?”

 “I just realized that those birds flew in the same direction we were tracking the surge.” Ironhide said grimly.

 Neither of them said anything for several minutes as they processed the weight of that revelation. Bulkhead groaned and rubbed his forehead. This planet was quickly going up his slag list.

XXXXXX

 “Uriel, the angel of war.” Annie said, looking the giant being up and down. “You’re certainly no angel I’ve ever seen.”

 That was an understatement. Uriel looked more like a walking statue made in the likeness of a warrior god than some pretty angel. The wings were the only thing he had that supported his claim, everything else looked more akin to Norse-made armor that seemed to have grown from his skin. Her eyes trailed to the sword in his hand.

 The sword was a masterpiece that looked like it was forged from all the riches of the world. The cross guard was in the shape of a traditional broadsword hilt, lined with precious jewels, and the blade was long and smooth and made of stainless steel. The face of what Annie believed to be another angel stared at her from the hilt, cold and expressionless, just like the being who held it.

 _“You are right, I am no angel. But this name I carry belonged to what you mortals considered angels and thus I adopted it for my own in ancient times.”_ Uriel said. _“And as the emissary of Lord Michael, I believe such a moniker as angel of war is fitting for me. For I am a warrior who dispenses justice on the unworthy Filth that populate this land.”_

“Yeah, and I’m Micronus Prime.” Grindor snorted. He screamed when Uriel slammed the blade of his sword next to him.

 “ _I did not give you permission to speak, worm!”_

“Back off, goldenrod! He’s my friend!” Annie barked. Uriel looked at her perplexed.

 “ _Friend_?” He echoed, as if the term was alien to him. It probably was. “ _You consider this…thing, to be your friend? He is an automaton created by dark magics!”_

 “No, he’s not. He’s a living being just like you, Venus!” Annie replied.

_“Those creatures have bewitched you, child.”_

Annie and Grindor froze as Michael’s large form marched into the chamber. Uriel bowed his head and stepped back as his master stood over their two captives, his smooth, marble face looking down at them with a critical stare from his one eye.

 “ _Whatever spell they cast on you must be strong if you see them as anything more than machines. No mortal would dare talk back to us in the old times.”_ Michael growled. Annie cleared her throat.

 “Okay, listen, I am not under some spell or anything stupid like that, Cupid. Those “automatons” as you call them are my friends. And you sent those monsters to kill them!” She said.

 “ _They should’ve have known better than to intrude upon my domain. Here in the roof of the world, I am king, and I will not have usurpers trying to steal my throne!”_

“We didn’t even know you people even lived here, you asshole!” Annie shouted, finally losing her temper. “And you’re no god, nor are you angels or whatever the hell you see yourself as. You’re all just a bunch of freaky talking statues with weird powers. I bet you bozos wouldn’t even last five seconds against Optimus Prime! Let me give him a call and have him come here so he can shove his metal fist up your stony, prismatic-“

 “ _SILENCE!”_ Michael boomed. His flared his power and blasted Annie and Grindor against a rock wall, lightly dazing Grindor but knocking Annie out. “ _I will not be insulted by some petulant child! If you want to meet your ancestors so badly, then you’re welcome to see them. Uriel, send them to the inner sanctum. Let Fenris deal with them.”_

Grindor held onto Annie, praying that they would be rescued soon as Uriel reached down to grab them. ‘Bulkhead, Ironhide, please hurry.’

XXXXXX

 Bulkhead and Ironhide drove at full speed through the valley without a care about losing control on the slippery, ice covered ground. They were on a tight schedule, and every second lost was another second their friends spent in danger. So focused they were that they were unable to detect Raphael monitoring them from the back of a large, red and gold serpent with a long, narrow snout harboring two rows of needle sharp teeth. The creature that served as his mount was known by Raphael as an Inspired.

 “ _Inspired, go forth and eradicate the aliens.”_ Ordered Raphael.

 The serpent hissed and slithered through the air on wings of pure light, moving through the air like a snake through water. The Autobots didn’t detect it until it was right on top of him, diving into the ground behind them.

 “Or for the love of…!” Ironhide yelled. This was too much scrap to deal with, and it wasn’t even noon yet!

 The inspired burst from the ground and snapped at Bulkhead with its jaws wide open. The green Autobot switched forms as fast as he could and met the monster head on, grabbed its top and bottom jaws to keep them from closing down on him. His feet dug into the ground as he fought against the Inspired’s great strength.

 “I haven’t come close to death in four million years of war, and today sure ain’t the day I’m kicking the bucket!” Bulkhead grunted.

 While he grappled with the serpent, Ironhide drove around to flank the beat and changed forms, jumping onto its back and pulled out his axe. He stabbed it into its lengthy spine and hacked away, making sure to put a lot of strength into each blow.

 The Inspired growled and thrashed its body, throwing away Bulkhead and trying to dislodge Ironhide off its back. The red Autobot held strong, digging his fingers into the wound he made and used it as a handhold to remain on. When it leaned forward to swing its tail, Bulkhead rushed in and ran forward, slamming his wrecking ball into its head. He shattered the green jewel on its forehead and caved its skull in. The Inspired reared back, dazed from the blow.

 Ironhide leapt up onto its head and buried his axe into the beast’s skull, destroying whatever it had as a brain. The creature swayed side to side for a moment before falling to the ground, dead. Bulkhead sagged and whistled.

 “That was easy.” He joked. Ironhide frowned, but before he could retort, he saw Raphael materialize behind Bulkhead, his sword raised to impale the Autobot from behind.

 Ironhide didn’t bother yelling for Bulkhead to move. He charged forward and barreled into Raphael, sending the two rolling across the ground. Raphael kicked Ironhide off and righted himself, holding his sword aloft. Ironhide took out his axe and raised his cannons.

 “Don’t even think about it, pretty boy.” He growled. No one stabbed his comrades in the back while he was around.

 Raphael looked at Ironhide, then at Bulkhead, who stood on the other side. He carefully eyed both Autobots, spinning his sword in his hand…before leaping at Ironhide. Ironhide fired a missile from his cannon, but Raphael actually kicked the missile out of his path, letting it explode harmlessly behind him. Bulkhead charged at him like a raging bull and managed to hit him hard in the back with his melee weapon.

 Raphael flew forward from the attack and stabbed his sword into the ground to stop his momentum, sending shards of ice and snow flying everywhere. Then with a wave of his hand, he took control of the ice shards and merged them into a dozen floating spikes that he fired at the Autobots. Bulkhead and Ironhide ran through the hailstorm and charged at Raphael.

 The three-way battle was chaotic, and the stranger held his own against the two Autobots with disturbing ease. Like a master swordsman, Raphael parried their attacks with wide swings of his sword, weaving through their weapons and deflecting any strikes aimed at his vital points. Bulkhead grabbed his arm and threw him away, though he landed on his feet and lunged at Bulkhead, phasing in and out of view like a mirage.

 Ironhide came at him from his right, throwing his axe, which Raphael deflected with his sword. This left him open to the two missiles flying at him until they hit him in the chest, blasting off huge chunks of his skin. The missiles didn’t drop him, but they did enough damage to stagger him, allowing the Autobots to attack.

 Bulkhead smashed his wrecking ball into his face, knocking Raphael back into Ironhide’s fist, which sent him crashing into the ground. Raphael rolled through the snow and stopped on his front. Their blows actually did enough damage to make him feel pain, which was a feat in itself. When he got up, parts of his face were actually chipping off, and red powder leaked from the cracks in his body.

“ _Invaders, you think you stand a chance?”_ Raphael grunted. “ _Michael and Uriel will tear you two into pieces. Just like your little pets.”_

“Pets? You mean Annie and Grindor? Where are they?” Bulkhead demanded. Raphael chuckled and sat back on his knees.

 “ _If they are lucky, they’re already dead. Even as we speak, Michael has thrown them into the jaws of Fenris and cleansed them of the impurities you have tainted them with.”_ Raphael discreetly summoned three daggers behind Bulkhead’s head and prepared to run them through his skull. “ _But don’t worry…you will be joining them soon enough!”_

“Not in the way you’re thinking.”

 Ironhide came up from behind and split Raphael’s head in two with his axe. The alien’s body twitched a bit before going still and slumping. Ironhide spat on his corpse and kicked it aside.

 “Cocky son of a glitch.” He said and looked at Bulkhead. “Alright, let’s get a move on. We’ve wasted enough time fooling around with this yahoo and his-Bulkhead? What are you looking at?”

 Bulkhead pointed behind him, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. Ironhide turned around and his eyes went wide too at what he saw. They were close to the edge of a cliff that they barely saw because of the heavy snow, which had now died down into a light snowfall. Across the deep canyon was a massive temple made of stone and crystal sitting under a massive tree that looked as if it was made of pure ice that glowed in the sunlight.

 This was Yggdrasil, the fabled world tree that stood over the sacred temple of the Asguardian tribes. And the place where Annie and Grindor were being held.

XXXXXX

 Annie woke up to a piercing ache in the back of her head and a cold jacket. She groaned and noticed that Grindor was leaning over her.

 “Annie, are you okay?” He asked worriedly.

 “I will be if you’ll stop shaking me for one damn minute.” She grunted.

 Grindor pulled back with a quick apology and helped her sit up. She rubbed the back of her head and looked at it to see that there was some dried blood on her fingers.

 ‘I’m really sick of people knocking me out.’ She thought with a grimace and looked at her partner. “Where are we?”

 “Those freaks called this place the inner sanctum. That Uriel guy dumped us in here after you mouthed off to his boss.” Grindor said. “They said this was the home of someone called Fenris, our “executioner” they called him.”

 Annie looked around at their surroundings. They were inside a long tunnel where the walls were lined with thick layers of ice (or was it crystal?) which had a low current of energy running through them. Annie could literally feel some kind of energy coursing through the walls of the tunnel, making her hair stand up. She was about to ask how they got so far in when she heard a howl echo throughout the tunnel.

 “What was that?” She breathed.

 “The thing I spent fifteen minutes running from.” Grindor whimpered.

 They turned back behind them to see a large, hulking form stalking toward them. Annie gasped; it was a giant metal wolf, with the upper torso of a humanoid and muscular arms and a canine lower body. It stood taller than a man and had old, worn steel armor plating with Nordic symbols etched into its metal hide. It was missing bits and pieces of its armor, exposing the inner circuitry underneath. Its eyes were glowing an electric blue, zeroing in on the pair, and its mouth opened wide in a snarl that revealed with jagged teeth.

 “Oh god, that’s Fenris?” Annie gulped. This wasn’t a mythical beast at all, it was a golem!

 “Yup. A giant robot werewolf with an attitude.” Grindor said.

 “What should we do?”

 “What do you think? RUN!”

 Grindor transformed and Annie jumped on him before he raced down the tunnel. Fenris gave pursuit and chased them through the long corridor. Entrapping Annie’s feet in straps, Grindor increased his speed with the small jets at his rear. Annie looked behind them and yelped when she saw Fenris gaining on them.

 “Go faster!” Annie screamed.

 “If I go any faster, you’ll fall off!” He shouted back.

 “If we slow down he’ll tear us apart!” She replied.

 Fortunately, they saw their salvation, a large wooden door up ahead. At this point, Fenris was close enough to snap at the hood of Annie’s coat. Just as she felt his jaws snap onto her hood, Annie shoved off her coat to let it fall back. Grindor transformed and shoved her into the doorway before landing an uppercut into the golem’s chin, stunning it before kicking off its head to fly back through the door. Annie slammed the door shut and pulled the locking bar down across it. She jumped back when the door shook from Fenris slamming into it on the other side.

 “That door won’t keep him out for long.” Annie said.

 Grindor looked around and saw that there was another door on the other side of the chamber. “We can head through there.”

 “Yeah, but we can’t run from Fenris forever. What if it’s a dead end?” Annie said and ran a hand through her hair. The stress of the situation was finally getting to her. “At this rate, we’ll be dead before the guys can reach us.”

 Grindor looked at her and pried open the door. “No, only one of us will be dead.”

 Before Annie could ask what he meant, she was grabbed by Grindor and thrown into the corridor. He shut the door and locked it shut. “Grindor! What the hell are you doing?”

 “Doing my job. You go hide while I keep that thing busy.” Grindor said. She banged on the door in vain to get him to open it up.

 “But you’ll die! That thing is too much for you!” She cried out.

 “It’s cool, Annie. I’m fully armed and combat ready.” He said through the door. “As long as you’re safe, at least I can die happy.”

 “Don’t say that! Grindor!” Annie screamed. “GRINDOR!”

XXXXXX

 Bulkhead and Ironhide showed their proper manners when visiting another’s home by knocking on the front door…with a volley of laser blasts. They stormed the entrance of the temple with little regard for damaging ancient relics and carvings thousands of years old. Gina would’ve been appalled.

 Ironhide took point, pointing his cannons forward while Bulkhead watched his back. They were in the main hall with the walls made of smooth crystal and ice mixed together and channeling energy into the atmosphere in dense quantities that even they could feel unaided by external equipment.

 “Bulkhead, go look for Annie and Grindor. I got things here.” Ironhide said.

 “You sure?” Bulkhead asked. When Ironhide gave him a look, he nodded. “Yeah, you’re sure. Stay safe.”

 “You too.”

 Bulkhead ran past him and deeper into the temple, transforming to drive through the smaller doorways. Ironhide slowly walked into the hall, his keen eyes scanning for any sign of movement. He knew from his many years of combat that he was being watched, but it was a little hard to focus with all this charged energy permeating the air.

_“So you came.”_

He looked to his left and saw a tall figure enter the hall, and frowned when he saw it was another one of those stone beings, this one more regal in appearance and just as powerful as Raphael, if not more so. What were these things?

 “ _I should be surprised that Raphael failed me, but somehow I am not. You creatures are very resilient, born of metal and immune to the passage of time.”_ Michael said, walking towards Ironhide. “ _But before there was metal, there was stone, the building blocks of the world from which all the metals in the world spawned from. You’d do well to know your place compared to me, alien.”_

Ironhide hated this guy already. “Are you gonna keep talking or am I going to have to make you shut up?”

 “ _Fine, then. Allow me to return you to the hell you crawled up from, intruder!”_ Holding out his hand, a long golden spear appeared in Michael’s hand and his body glowed with an ethereal power in preparation for the fight. “ _Come at me!”_

XXXXXX

 Bulkhead drove down the long halls at full speed, hoping his friends were alright. If anything happened to Annie he’d never forgive himself, much less be able to face Darren again. When he entered a large chamber that looked like a place of prayer, Bulkhead heard a loud war cry come from above.

 “ _DIE MONSTER!”_

Bulkhead transformed and rolled aside to avoid the flaming sword that almost impaled him. But before he could stand up, a fist caught him in the jaw and knocked him back into the wall. Uriel landed next to his sword and picked it up, rolling his shoulders.

 “ _So you are the one called Bulkhead. The maiden spoke highly of you, snapping like a harpy of your praise.”_ Uriel said. Bulkhead glared at him.

 “Where are they?” He growled.

 Uriel motioned to the doors behind him. “ _Through there, still trying to escape the hound. I suppose you might be able to save one of them, provided you get past me.”_

Bulkhead scowled and slammed his fists together. “You don’t have to tell me twice!”

 The two warriors charged at each other and threw their own punches, their fists clashing in the middle. The mountain was then filled with the sounds of thunder.

XXXXXX

 Annie walked down the tunnel feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. The girl was going deeper into the inner sanctum to try to find some way to get back to Grindor, but a small part of her mind knew it was near impossible. She was trying to keep her tears from clouding her eyes but failed. Grindor was going to die and she was helpless to do anything.

 ‘Just like with mom.’ Annie thought bitterly. ‘Damn it! Why does this always happen to me?’

 She kept on walking, knowing that standing still feeling sorry for herself was only going to make things worse. Eventually she reached the end of the corridor, and entered the cave at the end. The minute she stepped foot into the chamber, Annie forgot her sorrow for a moment as she took in the extraordinary sight before her.

 The cave was laced with crystal from top to bottom with Nordic carvings etched into the walls. To her surprise, bolts of lightning lance across the walls and randomly hit the ground, leaving behind scorch marks. A giant altar stood in the center of the room with a spiral staircase twisting around it, and at the top was something Annie thought she’d never thought she’d see.

 It was a hammer; an extremely short hammer, beautifully crafted and made of solid gold with a short hand and a yellow jewel in the center of the base. Electricity shot off the hammer and was being drawn into it as well. It was also floating in the air as if held in place by an invisible force. This was the real thing, a weapon from ancient mythology.

 “Mjolnir.” Annie breathed. The weapon of Thor, the man known as the god of thunder.

 Annie heard stories of how it made Thor, son of the Aesir king Odin, powerful enough to be a god. If it truly was as powerful as it was hyped up to be, then it should be strong enough to at least take out Fenris. Hell, it might even take out those giants too! That is, if she could even lift it. If Mjolnir deemed you unworthy, you wouldn’t be able to lift it. If that turned out to be the case, then she was shit out of luck.

 Annie climbed the stairs, trying to avoid being shocked the bolts flying over her head as she reached the top. The hammer was small enough to be held in one hand, and was encased in what she could only describe as a magnetic field. It gave off a soft hum as it floated before her and Annie hoped her hair wasn’t standing up like an afro. She reached out with a hand and flinched as she felt tiny pinpricks of electricity hitting her hands. Taking a deep breath, Annie gripped Mjolnir with both hands.

 “AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”

 Pain was what she felt. The minute she touched Mjolnir, electricity surged into her arms and throughout her body. Powerful bolts shot from the hammer and tore at the walls and altar below her. Her clothes had holes burned into them, and her hands started to go numb from the pain, but she still held on. If she gave up now, then Grindor was dead and there was no way she could live with herself knowing that she gave up the only chance to save him.

 Annie shut her eyes and started to pull with gritted teeth. She was not going to be the weak link, not now, not ever! She was going to be the one to save the day, the hero. Nothing was going to stop her; not Darren, not those “angels” and certainly not some stubby hammer that’s been plugged in for too long. When the pain finally became too much to handle, Annie did the only thing she had the strength to do.

 Scream.

XXXXXX

 Grindor smashed through the statue of Thor and hit the wall. He slumped to the ground, his body spewing sparks from the damages he sustained. Looking up, he saw Fenris barreling towards him and jumped to the side to avoid the beast.

 Fenris had broken through just a few minutes after he pushed Annie through the door. The battle that followed was little more than a beating on Grindor’s end. All he had on hand were two pulse pistols and micro-missiles in his alt mode, and that did little against a supped up golem like Fenris.

 Grindor fired his pistols at Fenris and pelted his armored hide with pulse blasts that tore off pieces of its armor. Fenris didn’t take too kindly to that and rushed at Grindor, smacking him away with a swipe of his arm. Grindor hit the ground and skidded to a stop, then had to jump aside to avoid its snapping jaws. Thinking quickly, he leaped onto its back and started pulling at the armor on its back.

 “Come on, doggie, show me the goods!” Grindor yelled as he tore at the golem under him. He cursed when Fenris started thrashing around to dislodge him and hung on for dear life, knowing that if he lost his grip, it was game over for him. Fenris slammed into the wall and tried scrapping Grindor off. Grindor ignored the pain of the sharp rocks tearing at his metal skin as he continued to rip off pieces of armor and eventually uncovering what looked like the machine’s power core.

 Fenris felt him fooling around with its power source and howled, leaping into the air and spinning around so that the bulk of its weight fell on Grindor as they landed on the ground. Grindor grunted as he was painfully crushed under the golem. Fenris rolled back onto its feet and grabbed Grindor’s leg, slamming him into the ground a few times before throwing him into the wall. Stomping up to him, Fenris grabbed Grindor by the head and started squeezing him, slowing increasing its grip until Grindor’s optic lens began to crack.

 ‘I’m sorry, Annie. Looks like I won’t make it.’ Grindor thought as his vision began to darken. ‘But at least I know you’ll be safe.’

 Just as he resigned himself to death, a powerful lightning bolt hit Fenris in the back, completely blasting off its arm and setting Grindor free. The golem looked at the sparkling stump where its arm used to be and spun around, only for another bolt to hit it in the chest, blasting straight through its torso. It staggered back and fell to the ground with smoke rising from the hole in its chest.

 “Grindor!”

 Grindor, just barely conscious, looked up and felt life return to his body as he saw Annie running up to him. Oddly enough, her clothes were almost in taters and sported burnt holes in her coat and pants, and she had red burns on her arms up to her elbows. Her hair was slightly fluffed up, and her eyes were a bit bloodshot, but his attention was stolen by the small hammer in her hand. It looked like it was made of solid gold, but Annie carried it as if it weighed nothing. And was it sparkling with electricity?

 “Are you alright?” Annie asked as she placed Grindor’s head in her lap.

 “A-Annie? Is that y-you?” He groaned. His head hurt as did the rest of his body from the thorough thrashing Fenris gave him.

 “Yeah, it’s me. I came back.” Annie smiled. Grindor looked at the remains of Fenris.

 “You d-did a number on it. H-How…”

 “Long story, but right now, I might have something that can help us get the hell out of here.” Annie said. “You did your part for me, so let me help you just this once.”

XXXXXX

 Bulkhead and Uriel grappled with each other in a manner fitting of the most brutal of Elladan sculptures. Uriel’s sword lay in pieces thanks to Bulkhead, and they both exhibited visible damages from their heavy handed brawl. Bulkhead was doing his best, but Uriel could take some serious damage and deal it back in full.

 “ _It’s a shame I have to kill you.”_ Uriel said. “ _You are a strong warrior.”_

 “Flattery will get you nowhere!” Bulkhead grunted. He put some strength into his legs and lifted Uriel over his head and tried to slam him into the ground. But amazingly, Uriel landed on his feet, still gripping Bulkhead’s arms, and heaved, throwing him instead. “Scrap!”

 Bulkhead’s large form flew across the hall into a statue of Odin, smashing it to pieces and sending Bulkhead crashing into the wall upside down. Uriel walked towards the downed Autobot and cracked his fists.

 “ _You fought well, alien, but in the end you were no match for a holy agent of Her Grace.”_ He said as he pressed a foot on Bulkhead’s chest. “ _Send my regards to your mortal friend in the afterlife.”_

“Why not say it to my face?”

 A lightning bolt hit the back of Uriel’s head and blew off a chunk of his head. He staggered back, giving Bulkhead room to jump up and fire his blaster into his face repeatedly. In seconds Uriel’s head was blown to dust and his body fell back to the ground.

 “Get slagged.” Bulkhead spat. He looked at Annie and saw the hammer in her hand. “Annie?”

 “Bulkhead!” Annie ran up to him and hugged his foot. Bulkhead smiled and patted her back with a large finger.

 “Annie, I’m glad you’re all right. Where’s Grindor? And what’s with the hammer?”

 “Grindor’s resting back in the last room. He’s okay, but he’s really hurt. As for this thing,” She held up Mjolnir. “It’s a kickass hammer that is super OP.”

 “Okay then.” Bulkhead blinked. “Ironhide’s fighting the head honcho in the main hall and he’s not doing very well. These guys are hard to beat.”

 “Then we better help our home boy before he gets fragged.” Annie grinned and lifted the electrified hammer. “Shall we?”

XXXXXX

For a giant living statue, Michael moved liked water in battle. He was quicker, stronger and just as durable as Ironhide as they battled furiously. Ironhide quickly found himself on the defensive as Michael assaulted him relentlessly with his spear, which cut through the air so fast it left streams of light in its wake.

 Michael was smart enough to keep the battle close combat to avoid Ironhide’s cannons, and Ironhide was forced to used his war axes as shields to keep Michael from impaling him. The spear’s point was extremely sharp and cut through his armor like butter. Ironhide landed a few of his own blows, but Michael just seemed to get stronger by the second. The entire chamber, the crystals embedded in the walls, they were emitting an ambient energy that Michael was absorbing into himself. It gave him a home field advantage that only made Ironhide wish he didn’t wake up early in the morning.

 _“I did not think you’d be resilient enough to withstand my assault like this. I’m impressed.”_ Michael praised. “ _Not even Uriel can shake off my punches.”_

“Unlike your friend, I’m not a pansy.” Ironhide growled. “Now shut up and fight!”

 They both threw punches at each other and their fists met with a deafening bang. Ironhide winced as he felt two fingers break and lashed out with his other hand. They traded punches and kicks that dented armor and chipped off stone skin. Michael quickly grabbed one of Ironhide’s cannons and tore it off, smashing it into his head to bring him to his knees. Ironhide punched Michael in the chest, but Michael backhanded him and gripped his arm and pulled, tearing the limb right off.

 Michael didn’t even allow Ironhide to register the pain before he lifted the Autobot over his head and threw him into the ground. Ironhide groaned and tried to fire his other cannon, but Michael stomped his foot on his elbow and broke it at the joint.

 _“Why do you still persist, even after I’ve beaten you into the ground?”_ Michael inquired. He leaned down until his face was over Ironhide’s. _“It will be less painful if you just accept your fate and concede. Do that, and I will grant you a quick and painless death.”_

Ironhide spat energon into his face. “I’ve never given up or surrendered in nearly 40,000 mega-cycles, and I don’t plan to any time soon. So get fragged you freak!”

 Michael grunted and raised his fist to punch Ironhide’s face in…and was hit in the head by a wrecking ball. Bulkhead jumped in and smashed his weapon into Michael’s face and sent him into the ground.

 “It’s over, Michael. Uriel is dead and so is your pet doggy.” Bulkhead said. “You’re all alone, so give up.”

 _“Michael bows down to no one!”_ Michael raged and leapt at Bulkhead, crashing into him.

 As they fought, Annie stood off to the side, holding Mjolnir to the wall. The hammer was drawing energy stored within the crystals to power it up for what she deemed a “super move”. If it ended badly, if she got it wrong, there was a very real chance she could end up blasting a hole straight through Bulkhead’s metal skull.

 “Come on, come on.” She muttered. She looked up and winced as Bulkhead took a hard punched to his jaw and stumbled back. Michael wasn’t pulling his punches anymore. He was out for blood.

 Seeing that Mjolnir was glowing like a miniature sun, Annie pulled it away and began spinning it in her hands. Like a battery, the hammer was charging up as it gained more speed. It started to hum as it spun faster and faster. When she felt it gained enough charge, she called out to Bulkhead.

 “Bulk, move!”

 The green Autobot rolled to the side and Annie immediately let Mjolnir loose on Michael. The hammer shot through the air like a bolt of lightning, moving as fast as a bullet as it slammed into Michael’s head, right through his rocky skull and emerged through the other side. It didn’t even stop as it crashed through the wall and landed outside in the snow. Michael stood still for a minute before he fell to his knees, half of his face blasted off by Mjolnir.

 Bulkhead helped Ironhide to his feet as Michael lay dying on his knees. Even then, he still clung to life long enough to give his dying words.

 “ _You think that you’ve won, but you’ve only brought misery unto yourselves. As I die, others will feel my life fade and they will seek retribution. You will never have peace, for all the world will be your enemy.”_ Michael said as his body started turning grey. _“All you have done is brought the storm upon yourselves, and the tempest will wipe away all traces of your corrupting influence. May the creator, Jubileus, bless you…”_

Michael’s body sagged as the life left his form and the light faded from his remaining eye. The last angel was dead, but his words lived on in the minds of those who witnessed his death.

 “What kind of warning was that?” Annie asked.

 “That was no warning,” Ironhide rasped, his entire body wracked with pain. “

XXXXXX

 When the team returned to the Ark, they went their separate ways. Ironhide and Grindor took some time in the medibay with Ratchet and Longarm to get their wounds healed while Bulkhead briefed Optimus and Prowl on what happened. Annie brought Mjolnir to Wheeljack to have him inspect what it exactly was…at Prime’s request.

 “Incredible…simply amazing.” Wheeljack said as he looked at the scans. “Annie do you realize what you’ve found?”

 “I don’t know. It’s a kickass hammer that shoots lightning.” Annie shrugged. “I was too busy screaming in pain to wonder how it was real.”

 “Annie, this hammer isn’t magical. It’s alien technology.” Wheeljack said.

 Annie blinked. “Say what?”

 “Can you figure out what race made it?” Liftor asked.

 “No, this design is totally alien to me, and that’s saying something.” Wheeljack rubbed his chin as he looked at the hammer in his scanning chamber. Annie had to lift it inside as Wheeljack couldn’t lift the hammer without risking it punching through his hand from its sheer weight alone. He pointed to the scans on his monitor. “Look here; the hammer is lined with crystals shards no bigger than grains of sand that have been bonded to the metal on a molecular level. The crystal on the handle stores and generates energy. All in all, Mjolnir absorbs ambient electromagnetic energy all the time, giving it its extreme power over electricity.”

 “Okay, but how can I lift the thing while you and Bulkhead can barely get it to move?” Annie asked. It was really embarrassing for Bulkhead as he struggled picking up Mjolnir before they left the temple. Ironhide got a good laugh out of that.”

 “I don’t know.” Was Wheeljack’s answer. “I can only theorize that Mjolnir might be encoded to only accept people with a certain gene that can hold it. Anyone else tries to even tough it and the hammer uses electromagnetism to weigh itself to the ground. For all intents and purposes, only Annie can use it.”

 Annie smirked. “Sweet.”

 “I wouldn’t describe it as “sweet”, Annie.” Optimus said. The Prime walked into the room and looked at the hammer. “This weapon is extremely powerful, and dangerous. Perhaps it would be best if you left it Wheeljack for further study.”

 “What? But-“

 “Annie,” Optimus’ tone didn’t change, but he had a look in his eye that brokered no argument. “You’ve had a rough day and you need your rest. Let Wheeljack do his work.”

 Annie scowled. She knew what he was doing; distancing the hyperactive girl from the dangerous superpowered hammer. It pissed her off, but she conceded, for now at least.

 She allowed Optimus to place her back on the floor so she could leave the room and left without another word. No sense in arguing with them about it now. She wasn’t going to let Mjolnir go. It was hers, and hers alone.

 As she walked down the hallway, Annie looked at her hands. She remembered the overwhelming pain she felt when she touched Mjolnir. She thought she made a mistake. She thought she was going to die. She felt true feat that moment and wondered if she was going to fail everyone once again.

 But it went differently. Mjolnir washed away the pain and reinvigorated Annie. It broke her down and remade her into someone stronger, mightier. The hammer made her into someone who knew how to use its power for good.

 It chose Thor once, too, and if it chose her, then it meant that something, some small trait about Annie was similar enough to the man himself that it deemed her worthy. That she was strong enough to harness the power to fight a god, kill a god. To become a god.

 The Autobots wanted to take away the one thing that made her strong and she wasn’t going to let that happen. Mjolnir was hers, and she was the only one allowed to use it. There was no way she was letting it go, even if she had to fight them for it.

 She felt strong for the first time since her mother died, and no one was going to make her feel weak ever again.


	10. Hunter's Moon

Chapter 9-Hunter’s Moon

 The upper atmosphere of the planet Terra was calm and quiet, isolated from the rest of the galaxy currently embroiled in a chaotic civil war between factions of mechanical aliens vying for dominance. It was peaceful and calm, uneventful save for a passing weather satellite. But like all things, it didn’t last very long.

 From places unknown, a large fireball appeared from distant space; it could be mistaken for a comet, but its flight pattern was too rigid and not natural at all. It shot straight at the planet and soon entered its atmosphere, where gravity took hold of it and it was engulfed in even more flames, but didn’t burn up like a normal meteor. It fell from the sky towards the Osean continent over a large forested area. The fireball crashed into a forest, smashing through dozens of trees and leaving behind a smoking trail in the dirt as it came to a stop.

 When the smoke finally cleared, it revealed that it was no comet at all, but a ship. A ship that belonged to a very dangerous person.

XXXXXX

 Darren sat by the wall of the training room as he watched Arcee and Jazz spar. They were dueling with blue laser staves, which looked exactly like wooden Bo staves, only glowing and dealt painful shocks when hitting a moving target. Darren was amazed at how two fifteen foot tall robots could move so fast and do all these flips and kicks like a six foot human. Hell, he had even witnessed Optimus do some fancy moves himself on the field thanks to some old war vids Wheeljack procured for the children. It was as if weight was no problem for the Autobots.

 “Hey, Darren.” High Wire greeted his partner as he stood next to him. “Watching them train?”

 “Yeah. It started with Annie trying to get me to learn some new moves from them, but now I actually like watching them spar.” Darren said.

 “So…you learn anything from them?” He asked. Darren smirked.

 “Yup, I learned that Arcee is nowhere near Jazz’s level.”

 The two Autobots went at each other with fast attacks, quick and precise, with multiple movements done within a span of mere seconds. Darren, if he squinted, could see that Jazz was just a bit faster than Arcee, and therein laid the difference in skill. Jazz remained on the defensive, blocking or deflecting any attacks Arcee sent his way. It was his style of battle that he perfected over the course of his martial arts career. Waiting for your opponent to leave an opening that you could exploit. This strategy helped Jazz many times on the battlefield and it was a tactic that he made sure to teach Arcee.

 Arcee spun her staff around her body and launched an upward strike at Jazz, who spun around her weapon and jabbed his staff into her torso. She grunted, but retaliated with a kick to his head, and that was when he saw his opening. Jazz ducked under her foot and rushed her, wrapped his arms around her waist, flipping his body around to throw Arcee onto her back onto the floor. He kicked away her staff and pinned her down with his staff to keep her from moving.

 “And that’s all she wrote.” Jazz grinned.

 “Damn it.” She sighed. Jazz helped her up as Darren walked over to her.

 “Wow, I know Jazz was good but I didn’t think he was that good.” He said.

 “You weren’t here when I took out Arcee and Bee on day in training. It was certainly a sight to see.” Jazz said. Arcee jabbed him in the side.

 “I can imagine.” Darren smiled.

 “You know, Darren, you could train with us too. We can do it with our Holomatter avatars.” Arcee suggested. “I heard Annie say that you needed practice with your powers.”

 “Ugh, I can manage, thanks. And it’s none of Annie’s business anyway, since she had that giant hammer she dragged from Belka.” Darren said. His sister was like a totally different person after that chaotic mission. She was always keeping one eye on Mjolnir to see if Optimus was going to shoot it off planet or something. Not to mention she looked like the littlest thing could set her off. She even kept Fenris’ head as a freaking trophy. “Besides, I’m good enough to handle Leader-1 and Rumble.”

 “Good enough isn’t going to help you all the time. Remember Darren, you have the potential to be powerful, but you won’t be that much of a threat to enemies who know not to underestimate you. Practice makes perfect, and one day you may rely on your powers to save lives, yours or someone else’s.” Jazz told him and left the room.

 “Speaking from experience?” High Wire asked Arcee.

 “Possibly, Primus knows that Jazz has been around the block in his day.” She said. “But if I were you, I’d take his words to heart. You’re an esper, Darren, the least you could do is try to harness it more. the world is a dangerous place for untrained espers.”

 “Believe me, I’m well aware of that fact.” He muttered. They walked out of the sparring room and headed to the rec room. “Arcee, how did you meet Jazz? I take it that you must’ve known him for a long time.”

 Arcee’s expression grew a bit strained, but she hid it well from Darren and High Wire. “Jazz…is like an older brother to me. When he found me, I was in a dark lace, but he helped me get through it. For that I am thankful, because if we hadn’t met, I wouldn’t have met you two.”

 Darren blushed. “Flatterer.”

 “Arcee, you got recon duty in Yellowstone.” Prowl said as he passed them. “There’s some untapped energon in the area and you need to go confirm its location.”

 “So much to getting a cold one.” Arcee sighed. Darren patted her leg.

 “Don’t worry, Cee. High Wire and I can come along to keep you company.” He suggested. Arcee smiled down at him.

 “That’s sweet of you, Darren. Okay, you can come, just be sure to be prepared. I heard that the forest is a rough place for a kid.”

 “Don’t worry, I got that covered.” Darren ran off to get some supplies for the mission, leaving High Wire with Arcee.

 “Are you sure it’s all right for us to go with you?” He asked. “What if something happens?”

 “Don’t worry, High Wire. If trouble pops up, then I can have Teletran bridge you two back.” Arcee said and walked to the shuttle bay. “And besides, kids like him need some fresh air every once in a while.”

XXXXXX

Yellowstone was a state that was home to one of the largest national parks in the country. When Arcee, Darren and High Wire exited the ground bridge on top of a cliff, they were greeted by a marvelous site of untouched forested land and rolling green hills as far as the eye can see. A natural paradise untouched by man for its pristine beauty. High Wire marveled as the sight, having never seen such dense vegetation in his time on Cybertron. This was all a new experience for him.

 “Amazing.” High Wire gasped.

 “I take if you’ve never seen so many trees before?” Darren smirked.

 “Cybertron is mostly made of metal and rock. The closest this could come to on Cybertron would be the Helix Gardens.” He said.

 “What’s that?” The boy asked.

 “A forest of trees made of pure crystal.”

 Darren stared at the Minicon blankly before sighing. “Yeah, your planet wins.”

 “All right, boys, let’s go. We’re not here for sight-seeing.” Arcee said with a small smile. She took out her scanner and walked into the forest, scanning for any notable energon signatures.

 Darren took this time to enjoy the peacefulness of the forest. He loved the picturesque sights and the seclusion of it all, but the dreary grey skies and rumbling thunder in the distance killed the warm feelings he would’ve had. To make things worse, the humidity was drawing all kinds of creepy critters into the open, most of them of the bloodsucking kind. Darren grumbled as he swatted a few mosquitoes that got too close for comfort.  

 “You doing okay there, Darren?” Arcee smirked.

 “I’m fine, just peachy.” He droned. “I’d be even better if these damn bugs would just lay off me for five seconds.”

 “Do you need assistance? I’m quicker on the draw than you are and could probably catch them.” High Wire suggested.

 “That won’t be necessary, High Wire. You’ll probably hit by nose in the process.” Darren said, swatting away a bug. “This is just one of the many cons of exploring nature.”

 “Quite the outdoorsman, aren’t you, Darren?” Arcee quipped.

 “You wouldn’t be laughing at my survival kit.” Darren said proudly, jerking a thumb at the backpack he took along.”

 “So that’s what you brought along.” High Wire muttered. “What’s in it?”

 “A swiss army knife, a compass, a flare, some trail mix and water. Might not be as effective as stinger proof metal skin, but it gets the job done.”

 “I didn’t say anything.” Arcee laughed. Being around them was always a breath of fresh air compared to her time at Autobot Headquarters. She loved her friends at Orbital Command, but it was nice to meet new faces. The scanner started beeping, drawing her attention. “Hmm, that’s strange.”

 “What’s wrong?” High Wire asked.

 “The scanner’s in the red. Energon deposits don’t normally give off this strong a reading.” She frowned.

 Arcee led the way and her two companions followed her. Reaching a small hill, they went to the top and came upon a clearing…or what was left of it.

 To their surprise, a ship was sitting in the middle of a desolated area of the forest, most likely caused by its fiery crash landing. It was large, but nowhere near as big as the Ark or Nemesis. Its construction consisted of hard and angular armor plating, typical of most Decepticon ships, and from the still smoking ground, it wasn’t there for long.

 “It’s a cybertronian ship.” High Wire said.

 “Ours or there’s?” Darren asked, referring to which faction it belonged to. Arcee put her scanner away and drew her blaster from her thigh compartment.

 “Let’s find out.” She said and looked down at her companions. “You two stay here and out of sight.”

 Arcee climbed down into the trench and slowly approached the ship. Darren and High Wire kept a close eye on her as she walked over to the back of the ship and enter the landing hatch, disappearing from view. They both waited anxiously, the overall feeling of the forest having suddenly felt colder and less inviting. After a few minutes, they saw Arcee’s pink and white form stagger out of the ship. She didn’t look too good.

 “Arcee?” Darren called out to her. He grabbed High Wire’s hand and pulled him along into the trench. “Arcee!”

 Arcee didn’t hear his cries. She leaned against the ship with a shocked look on her face. Her hands were trembling and her eyes were wide as she recalled memories that she tried to keep buried.

XXXXXX

_The city-state of Ky-Alexia was a beautiful place located near the Mithril Sea, Cybertron’s only body of water. Before the Great War, it was a popular tourist site that prided itself on its scenic beauty and natural serenity. Even after the war began, Ky-Alexia was miles away from the chaos that plagued the Torus States and the nearby badlands._

_Now the city was set flame, the war finally having reached its borders, and now it was stuck in the middle of the two sides that threatened to tear it apart with the vicious fighting._

_Three vehicles drove through the war torn streets of the once beautiful city. In the lead was a pink and white car, the other a mint green car and at the rear was a dark purple motorcycle. The trio of femmes carefully avoided the Decepticon Orbital Carriers patrolling the skies and raced into the safety of an abandoned warehouse. Once they were sure they were in the clear, they transformed to their robot modes._

_“I think we lost them.” The purple femme said softly. The green femme, the youngest of the trio, gave her a skeptical look._

_“You sure? Because I doubt the Combaticons will let us go just like that.” She huffed. “Especially that creep Motormaster.”_

_“Moonracer, relax,” Arcee said. She gave her baby sister a calming smile. “I’ll keep you safe. Trust me.”_

_“O-okay. I trust you big sis.” Moonracer smiled._

_“Let me call Cliff to confirm our rendezvous point and we’ll be on our way.” Arcee looked at her lover. “Flamewar, take point.”_

_“Got it.”_

_The pink Autobot switched on her comm. “Arcee to Cliffjumper, do you copy?”_

_“I hear you, Cee. My team and I are waiting for them. The bridge is secured.”_

_“Roger that, Arcee out.” She turned to her sisters. “The bridge is ours. Let’s go!”_

_Arcee was about to head to the door when she felt a sharp pain in her leg. Looking down, she saw a bullet wound in her thigh and fell to one knee. She looked at the window and saw a bullet hole through the glass. A sniper!_

_“Arcee!” Moonracer ran over to her sister. She raised her sniper rifle at the assailant. “Don’t worry, big sis, we got our back!”_

_“Actually, Moonracer, there’s been a change of plans.”_

_Arcee watched in horror as Flamewar leveled her crossbow at Moonracer and shot her in the chest._

_“Moonracer!”_

XXXXXX

 “Arcee!”

 “W-what?”

 Arcee was brought back to the present and saw Darren and High Wire looking up at her concerned.

 “What’s wrong?” The Minicon asked.

 She regained her composure and looked back at the ship. She knew who this ship belonged to. She turned on her comm and called the Ark.

 “Arcee to Ark, requesting ground bridge.” She only got static on the comm-link. “Ark, do you copy? Teletran? Anybody? Scrap!” She cursed. “The ship must be emitting a hyper-frequency scrambler pulse!”

 “Arcee what’s going on? You’re freaking me out.” Darren said. Arcee didn’t answer and transformed to car mode, opening her doors.

 “Get in.”

 More than a little unnerved by her erratic behavior, Darren and High Wire got in. She barely waited for them to settle in before she put it in high gear and drove as fast as she could away from the ship. Her passengers held on tightly as she weaved through the trees at high speed.

 “Arcee, slow down!” High Wire shouted.

 Arcee ignored him and didn’t slow down even as she leapt over a small crevice in the ground. She landed perfectly and skidded to a stop, letting them out before transforming to her natural form again.

 “Base, can you hear me now?” Arcee yelled into her comm. “Answer me damn it!”

 “Arcee, what the hell is going on? Who’s ship is that?” Darren asked, losing his patience. Arcee looked at him with a very tense expression.

 “High Wire, I want you and Darren to stay here while I go check things out. If I’m not back within the hour, get as far away from this place as possible and call Sparkplug. Understand?” Arcee didn’t wait for an answer and walked away, only for Darren to cut her off.

 “Not until you tell us what’s going on. I thought we were partners!” He yelled at her. Arcee gritted her teeth and knelt down so her face hovered directly over him.

 “You’re not my partner, you’re a kid! Esper or not, you’re a liability. And I can’t watch out for danger and you at the same time!”

 “We can still help!” He said.

 “No, you can’t. this mission was supposed to be simple recon, no risk. I am not putting you in danger!” She yelled in a rare show of anger before collapsing into her alt mode and driving away.

 “Darren, you should listen to her. I’ve never seen her look so angry before.” High Wire said.

 “Which is why we’re going to help her. If she thinks having a tantrum is going to scare me off, then she doesn’t know me very well.” Darren went to follow Arcee’s tracks, but High Wire stopped him. “Let go.”

 “No. Prime made sure I was to keep you out of danger and that’s what I plan to do. Going off on your own after Arcee doesn’t qualify as safe.” He said strongly. Darren psychically pried High Wire’s fingers off his arm and glared at him.

 “Then feel free to come with me. If not, stay here. I’m going to help my friend whether you like it or not.” Darren said. “And don’t try to stop me. You’ll be frozen before you can do anything.”

 High Wire stared hard at Darren with his round eyes before giving a rough sigh and switching to alt mode. “Get on.”

 Arcee had changed forms when she was far enough from Darren and High Wire and was now stalking through the forest with her swords drawn and her eyes scanning the terrain. She felt a deep ache in her Spark that she knew could only mean one thing, and she followed it to her target. It was a feeling she knew all too well and had long since forgotten.

 ‘It’s her. It has to be!’ Arcee thought. ‘Why here? Why now of all places?’

XXXXXX

_Arcee groaned as she came back online. It took a moment for her memories of earlier to come back, but they hit her like cold water on exposed circuits. She tried to move, but her arms and feet were encased in magna-cuffs and she was suspended off the ground._

_**“Awake I see,”** A harsh sounding voice echoed in the cell like a haunting tune. “ **Good. This wouldn’t be as much fun if you were still sleeping.”**_

_Arcee strained her eyes to see who was speaking to her, only to see a figure hiding in the darkness. “Who…who’s there? Come out and face me!”_

_**“You’re in no position to be making demands, Arcee.”** The speaker stepped into the dim light and Arcee couldn’t hold back her gasp._

_“Ashling.”_

_Ashling was one of the most terrifying and brutal Decepticons within their ranks, a high ranking scientist and interrogator, and an all around disturbing individual. She was a rail thin femme with rusty gray armor and six arms with two wheels on the backs of her legs. Her armor was old and warped from extreme heat and misuse, with pieces missing and exposing her inner circuitry. But her face…her face was ghoulish in appearance. Her eyes lacked optic lens, leaving her burnt orange eyes bare, and her mouth was just a large serrated maw of needle sharp teeth set in a permanent grin._

**** _“ **So you know of me. I’m so flattered. I didn’t think any Autobot knew the name of Megatron’s cadaver!”** Ashling cackled. Her laugh sounded like two knives grinding together and it hurt Arcee’s audials. **“No, normally I don’t do one on one sessions, but I’m doing this as a favor to a friend of mine. It shouldn’t be too boring considering how strong willed you are.”**_

_“I have nothing to say to you, watch!” Arcee shouted. Ashling laughed once more, more condescending than mocking._

_**“That’s no way to talk to your generous host. No matter, what I’m going to do to you will enough punishment. Now open wide-I want to hear you scream!”**_

_Arcee gritted her teeth as Ashling stabbed a laser scalpel in her leg and began to slide the tool down her thigh._

XXXXXX

 Arcee inhaled sharply and focused herself. She couldn’t be distracted now. The Autobot continued on her search, still following the growing ache in her chest that guided her. The almost painful contractions in her Spark were a sign that she was getting close. Really close.

 Suddenly something slammed into her back from behind. Arcee fell forward into a roll and kicked her attacker off her. The figure flipped in the air and landed on their feet gracefully.

 It was a femme with sleek black armor and glowing red biolights running up her body around her torso. She held a crossbow in one hand and her left arm had a thin blade extended, glinting in the setting sunlight. Arcee recognized this femme almost immediately, and she felt her hands shake slightly.

 “Flamewar.” Arcee growled.

 “So you do remember me after all this time. I am so flattered.” Flamewar grinned. “Good to see that spark hadn’t died out with your courage that night.”

 “How are you still alive? I saw the roof cave in on you.” Arcee said. “I saw you die!”

 “You saw me get shot. It was a close call, but I can assure you, it will take more than that to kill me.”

 Arcee raised her swords. “Then I’ll just have to try my hardest to finish the job!”

 The two femmes leapt at each other and slashed at each other. Arcee’s swords grinded against Flamewar’s arm blades, creating bright sparks. Arcee drew her pistol and tried to shoot her in the face, but Flamewar kicked her arm aside and the laser bolt grazed her shoulder. They fought in the darkening forest, executing fast attacks and hard punches and kicks to knock each other off balance. Arcee was kicked into a tree and leapt aside to dodge the heat blast fired at her.

 “What the hell are you doing here, Flamewar?” Arcee demanded. “Still the Cons’ hunting dog?”

 “Oh heavens no. After the Exodus, I work solo these days. Those morons in High Command can go play their war games in hell for all I care.” Flamewar grinned, her eyes flashing. “These days I cruise around the galaxy partaking in a fun new hobby of mine, hunting.”

 Arcee scowled as she thought back to when she explored the femme’s ship. Inside, she saw the walls lined with the severed heads of various alien species, some were cleanly cut but most were savagely torn off.

 “I saw your trophy case.”

 “Then you can guess why I came here. Decepticon radio chatter was abuzz about Megatron coming to this planet personally, so I decided to check it out. Running into you was just a pleasant coincidence, I ultimately plan on obtaining a specimen from this world. Snagging a creature, living or otherwise, from the uncharted regions will get be lots of bragging rights with the alpha males in the hunting community.”

 “Like hell you are!”

 Arcee threw one of her swords at Flamewar, who kicked it out of the air, and rushed her. She jumped up and delivered an axe-kick to the shoulder that almost broke the joint. Arcee grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground, mounting her and pointing her blaster at Flamewar’s face.

 “Arcee!”

 Arcee looked up and saw Darren riding on High Wire’s alt mode towards them. the distraction allowed Flamewar to kick her off and fire a green energy net from a launcher in her forearm. It ensnared Arcee and trapped her against a tree. Flamewar smirked and pointed her crossbow at Arcee.

 “NO!” Darren shouted and punched forward, sending out a strong telekinetic wave that rippled through the air and caught the surprised Decepticon in the head.

 Caught off guard, the huntress was sent crashing headfirst into a boulder, hitting it hard enough to crack the stone and knock her out. Arcee was shocked at Darren’s move, but her surprise turned to anger.

 “I thought I told you two to run! What are you doing here?” She asked angrily.

 “Saving your tailpipe.” Darren replied as he ran over to her. “High Wire, help me with this.”

 Arcee couldn’t believe the tenacity of these two little guys as they started pulling at the net to get her free. “Listen to me, I don’t need your help! The only thing you’ll do is get in the way. Just go!”

 If she thought her aggressive tone would scare them off, she was sorely mistaken as neither the boy nor the Minicon were affected at all.

 “I don’t believe that, I can see it in your eyes.” Darren said firmly. He looked up at her, green eyes meeting blue. “I may not have known you for that long, but I do know that you’re a sweet, kind, and level-headed under stress. But I can see that you’re afraid, and you’re never afraid.”

 His words resonated with her and brought back more unwanted memories.

XXXXXX

_Arcee coughed up some energon and glared weakly at her tormentor. Her body felt numb with pain, covered in deep gashes that were bleeding profusely, her left leg was limp, hanging to her body by only of couple of wires, and her left eye was offline._

_**“You’re strong, Arcee. Very resilient.”** Ashling praised, tossing her energon prod aside. **“Or perhaps I was too gentle. No matter, there are other ways to break someone.”**_

_She snapped her fingers and two Vehicons entered the room, dragging a limp body between them. Arcee gasped at the numerous wounds on the figure’s body, with armor barely hanging off her ravaged form. She even noticed they were missing an arm. As they stepped into the light, Arcee was even more horrified to see that it was her sister, Moonracer._

_“Moon…what the hell did you do to her?!”_

_“ **Me? Nothing. It appears that my associate got a bit overzealous in her playtime.”** Ashling grinned and turned to the door. **“I’ll be going now, so I’ll let my friend have her fun. You can come in now, dear.”**_

_Ashling left the cell and another femme entered the chamber, her red eyes glowing in the shadows. Arcee was pained to already know who it was before she even stepped into view._

_“Flamewar, why?”_

_“We can no longer remain neutral in this war, Cee. Either you join a side or you die alone.” Flamewar said. “I just decided on joining the winning team.”_

_“You glitch! How could you betray us? We were your family! I loved you!” Arcee yelled._

_“A perfect little femme like you wouldn’t understand. But right now, I’m going to have my fun by doing something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time.”_

_Flamewar rolled her shoulders and walked over to Moonracer’s broken body._

_“Leave her alone!”_

_“Shut up! I’m going to break you down, Arcee. Starting with this wretch!” Flamewar raised her clawed hand and struck._

_Arcee watched in horror as Flamewar shoved her arm into Moonracer’s chest, her fingers bursting through her back in a gory mess as she tore out Moonracer’s Spark core and crushed it in her hand._

_“NOOOOOO!!!”_

XXXXXX

 “You’re right, Darren, I am afraid-of losing you!” Arcee confessed, breaking her strong façade. Darren and High Wire looked at her in shock.

 “Arcee, you really suck at this protecting the innocent gig.” Flamewar sat up, rubbing her aching head. “You couldn’t even protect Moonracer, so what makes you think that they’ll make it out in one piece?”

 “She hunts indigenous species, and she’s here on Terra for only one thing-humans! And that means you.” Arcee said to Darren, who began backing away. “RUN!”

 High Wire transformed and Darren hopped onto him, giving Arcee one last look before they rode off into the forest. Flamewar sucked her teeth and approached Arcee.

 “And that’s why I work alone. Less baggage to worry about.” She leaned in and took out a small disc to place it on Arcee’s head.

 “Do your worst.” Arcee growled.

 “Oh, I intend to, make no mistake about that. But first, I’m going to make your suffer.” Flamewar said. “You’re going to hunt down those little pets of yours, then you will tear them apart with your own two hands.”  

 Flamewar pressed a button on her wrist and a loud buzzing went off in Arcee’s head. She felt her mind go blank and her vision get blurry. Before everything went dark, Arcee desperately hoped that her friends would get away in time.

XXXXXX

 Night had fallen over Yellowstone, and without artificial lights that dominated most of the continent, it was nearly pitch black. Darren tried really hard to keep his fear at bay as he held on tight to High Wire, who switched his headlight on.

 “What are we going to do? Arcee’s in trouble and we still have no way to call the base.” Darren said.

 “Calm down, Darren. We’ll save Arcee, but only if we make a plan. We just need someplace to hold out so we can think.” High Wire replied.

 Darren heard the sound of a car engine behind them and looked back to see Arcee racing after them. When she was close enough, she transformed and lunged at them with sickly green eyes. Darren cursed and pulled High Wire aside, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the pink Autobot. Arcee crashed into the ground and scrambled to get them with quick but sloppy movements. She tried to grab them, but they evaded her as best as they could manage.

 High Wire saw a small cave not too far from them. “Hold on!”

 He swerved around a tree and raved towards the cave, but Arcee was almost on them. Mentally apologizing to Arcee, Darren waved his hand and caused a nearby boulder to hit her legs, making her stumble. This gave them enough time to reach the cave and climb inside. High Wire changed forms and crawled deeper into the tiny tunnel with Darren and they didn’t stop until they were a good distance away from the opening.

 “Great, this is just what we needed.” Darren groaned. “Now we’re in really deep shit.”

 “Well, the situation may have gotten worse, but all is not lost.” High Wire said. When Darren looked at him, he elaborated. “Arcee is clearly being controlled by Flamewar. I saw a disc on her forehead when she was chasing us. We just need to get that thing off her head and she’ll return to normal.”

 “Okay, but what about the murderous alien poacher? How do we take her out?” Darren asked. He reached into his backpack and looked inside, pulling out the flares and a knife. “Oh who am I kidding?”

 He took a moment to think, then a grin spread across his face as he had an idea. Seeing his face light up, High Wire knew that he figured something out.

 “I take it you have a plan?” He asked. Darren smiled.

 “Something like that.” He said. “But you might not like it.”

XXXXXX

 Flamewar glared at Arcee’s motionless form as she stood before her like a statue. She wasn’t pleased to learn that Arcee lost her prey.

 “How hard is it to catch a boy and a Minicon?” Flamewar hissed. “One damn fleshling not even in his adolescent years! Is it too much to ask for you to bring me his corpse? Hell, even his head would’ve been good.”

 Arcee said nothing, not that she would’ve been able to. Her mind was suppressed and she was basically unconscious. Flamewar scowled and got into her face, glaring at her former lover.

 “You have no idea how much I hate you. All those years of living in your shadow, listening to people go on and on about how pretty you are, or how skilled you were, licking the ground you walked on like mongrels! All because you could do some fancy tricks with a gun.” She snarled. “Then Moonracer, motormouth Moonracer, gets praised for being a class A sharpshooter. As if being trumped by you weren’t bad enough, now I had to contend with being shown up by your runt of a sister. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to be compared to a femme who can’t shut up for five nano-kliks? I just couldn’t handle it.”

 She stepped back and started looking over her crossbow. “I loved you, and you loved me. That love was genuine. But I…just could not stand coming second to someone who has never known hardship. Not like me. I worked for what I had, and you were given all of it. Something had to go-my dignity or your love. We both know that answer.”

 Flamewar’s expression hardened and she pointed her weapon at Arcee’s head. “There hasn’t been a day where I haven’t dreamed of meeting you again just so I could pay you back in kind. There were times when I thought that I’d never get the chance to kill you. But here we are, four million years later, you the slave and me the master. I can finally get the retribution I deserve!”

 “Don’t even think about it!”

 She looked to her left to see High Wire standing by a tree. Grinning, Flamewar pointed at him and gave Arcee an order. “Kill him.”

 Arcee charged at the Minicon, who transformed and drove off into the dark forest. It took Flamewar a minute to realize that Darren was not with the Minicon like she thought she was. Where was he?

 “Hey, second best!” Darren ran out from his hiding spot. “You seem to have fun letting others do your dirty work! I bet all that bragging about your hunting skills was just loud boasts!”

 Flamewar smirked and ran at Darren. When she was close enough, he took out his flare gun and fired a flare, using his powers to send the flare into her right eye. A stinging pain caused Flamewar to cry out and fall to her knees, clutching her eye.

 “Have fun trying to hunt with one eye.” Darren smirked before running away.

 Flamewar rubbed her stinging eye and grinned. “That little bastard. That was actually clever. It’ll be fun skinning you.”

 XXXXXX

 High Wire drove through the forest, trying to maintain his balance on the thick foliage on the ground. He had to make sure that he led Arcee as far away from Flamewar as possible.

 It was a risky plan to separate the two femmes and deal with them individually. Darren handled Flamewar while High Wire set about freeing Arcee. Divide and conquer.

 Arcee’s robotic movements were easy to evade and predictable, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. He led her to a small clearing and turned around, only to see her gone.

 “Where did she…?”

 Her giant form dropped down from the trees and landed right above him. High Wire was grabbed around the waist and lifted to her face. Feeling her grip on him start to tighten, High Wire knew he had to act fast. He raised his hand and threw a miniature flash grenade into her face. It exploded, blinding her momentarily, and made her lose her grip on him, which he broke free from. Taking out Darren’s army knife, he jumped onto her head and stabbed it into the disc on her head, ripping if off.

 Arcee’s body twitched violently as if she was having a seizure and the green hue in her eyes faded to her normal blue. The femme fell to the ground, throwing High Wire off and into a tree.

 “It’s up to you now, Darren.” He groaned and went limp.

XXXXXX

 Darren ran through the forest as fast as he could with the sadistic Con chasing after him like a tigress on the prowl. It was very dark now, and he had to make an effort to see where he was going without resorting to a flashlight and giving away his position. Not that it mattered, since he had a better chance at fighting Megatron barehanded than hiding from her.

 He dared to look back and saw Flamewar leaping from tree to tree with the agility of an acrobat. He could see that damned hellish grin on her face-she was treating this like a game! He’ll show her not to take him lightly.

 When she leapt for another branch, Darren predicted where she would leap to and reached out with his mind, breaking the normally strong branch the second her feet touched it. Flamewar was surprised by this and she fell, but she twisted her body to land on her feet.

 “You’ll have to do more than that to shake me off, boy!” Flamewar cackled.

 “Fine then. How’s this?” Darren took a deep breath and sent out a TK wave at the trees around her.

 Flamewar saw the trunks of the trees around her explode and the trees fell down on her. With the femme buried under a pile of trees, not enough to kill her, sadly, it bought him enough time to make some distance. He went back to running, heading straight for the crash site of Flamewar’s ship.

 Back in the glade, Arcee woke up with a piercing headache and she sat up. When the memories came rushing back to her, she gasped.

 “Darren, High Wire!”

 She got to her knees and saw High Wire next to a tree motionless. Her breath hitched a bit, but she calmed down when she saw that he was just unconscious. Arcee reached out and held his body in her hands as she sat there, weighed down by her emotions. All this, the memories, Flamewar, it was just too much. After all the time she spent trying to forget, the past was just coming back to haunt her.

XXXXXX

_Arcee stared at the corpse of Moonracer in shock. She didn’t move, and didn’t utter a sound, not even a whimper. She didn’t ever register Flamewar slowly inching a dagger towards her eye._

_The door to the cell was suddenly blasted open and three Autobots rushed in; Elita-1, Chromia and Firestar. Flamewar growled and tried to shoot them, but Firestar was faster, firing a heat blast that hit Flamewar in the chest and sent her crashing through the wall._

_“Get her down!” Elita-1 ordered._

_Chromia and Firestar quickly broke Arcee’s bonds and half-carried her to the door. Arcee shook them off and crawled over to her sister’s body, cradling her and rocking back and forth as she let out a tearless sob._

_“I couldn’t save her! I couldn’t save my sister! IT’S ALL MY FAULT!”_

XXXXXX

 “I’m sorry guys. I was too busy trying to escape my demons that all I did was put you in more danger. I didn’t want to lose you like Moonracer.” Arcee said. “I don’t want to go through that pain again.”

 “It’s…nothing to be ashamed about, Arcee.”

 Arcee looked at the Minicon in her hands. “High Wire!”

 “You were only doing what you thought was right. But you have to remember you’re not alone anymore. You have me, Darren, and the rest of the team.” High Wire grunted a bit as he sat up. “You may have failed in the past, but things change. We can beat her, together.”

 Arcee nodded as her eyes narrowed and she gained a determined expression. She wasn’t going to let any more people get hurt because of her mistake. She was going to make sure of that.

XXXXXX

 Darren’s lungs were on fire when he finally reached the crashed ship. He almost got lost a few times, but he managed to remember where Arcee and Flamewar first battled. He stopped to take a breather, but heard the sound of footsteps heading his way and groaned.

 “And Annie wonders why I don’t take Track.” He panted and ran to the ship. “Now no one can say I didn’t get my exercise.”

 Flamewar emerged from the forest and smirked when she saw his trail leading to her ship. She strolled down into the trench and walked over to the landing hatch, thinking that he was probably hiding inside the ship to throw her off.

 “Like the place, boy? I saved a sport for you on my wall?” She said as she walked into the ship. “It’s where you’ll soon hang your head!”

 But Darren wasn’t in the ship-he was hiding under the ship’s boosters. When he heard her footsteps fade, he sighed. Feeling his hand touch something wet, he looked down at saw a puddle of blue liquid dripping from the engines.

 “Energon.” He muttered and grinned. This was just what he needed.

 Darren reached into his bah and took out another flare. He pulled the nozzle off, which made a louder sound than he wanted. When he heard Flamewar running out of the ship, he tossed the flare into the puddle of energon in the boosters and ran like hell. Flamewar had climb to the top of the ship and saw the energon lit aflame.

 “NO!”

 The ignited energon caused a reaction that exploded the engines, and the entire ship went up in a massive fireball that lit up the dark forest. The shockwave from the explosion blew Darren off his feet and he crashed into the dirt. Groaning, he stood up, rubbing his sore shoulder where he landed. He looked back at the burning wreck of the ship and spat in the dirt.

 “Good riddance.” He said.

 Darren climbed back up the slope and limped away from the burning ship, but he saw a bright light come from one of the trees. Instinctively he formed a force barrier around his body to protect himself, and that was the only thing that kept him from getting incinerated as a blue fireball hit the ground near him. The flames licked at his shield and the blast blew him into a tree, knocking the breath from him. Dazed, he struggled to get to his feet, and looked up to see Flamewar crouched on a branch.

 Her armor was scorched and smoking, and her expression was less than pleased at almost being blown apart. She landed on the ground and Darren tried to use his powers on her, only to be trapped by one of her energy nets.

 “Now, now, Darren, none of that slag. I’ve had just about enough of your magic tricks.” Flamewar growled. She stabbed the bayonet portion of her crossbow into the ground next to him and leaned down. “It takes a lot to piss me off, but you’ve done a wonderful job of getting my feathers ruffled, more so than dear Arcee. So good job-now here’s your prize@”

 Flamewar was about to impale him on her dagger when she heard a car engine behind her. Arcee speed out of the forest, High Wire powerlinked to her as she leapt into the air and transformed. She slammed her fist into Flamewar’s jaw, knocking her to the ground.

 Flamewar recovered and tried to shoot her weapon, but Arcee, augmented by her linkage with High Wire, was faster. Kicking the crossbow from Flamewar’s hand, she grabbed her arm and twisted it until she heard a crack.

 “This is for Moonracer!”

 Arcee landed a series of strong kicks to Flamewar’s face with enough force to send energon flying. Flamewar launched a weak kick at her in return, but Arcee jumped back and kicked her in the side.

 “This is for Darren!”

 She leapt up and brought her heel down on Flamewar’s shoulder, denting the armor and nearly breaking her shoulder.

 “And this is for me!”

 Arcee punched Flamewar in the chest and sent her flying through several trees before hitting the ground, her body littered with severe damages.

 Arcee ran over to Darren and freed him while High Wire disengaged from her to change forms.

 “Darren, are you alright?” High Wire asked.

 “Ask me again when the ringing in my ears stop.” Darren groaned. He grimaced when High Wire hugged him and patted him on the back. He looked up at Arcee. “And how are you feeling?”

 “Better, now that you’re fine.” Arcee said. She frowned and looked at her hands. “And…I’m sorry you two had to face my demons for me. Along with everything I said earlier. You were pretty brave there.”

 “No, I wasn’t brave. I was terrified.” Darren smiled, patting her hand. “Mostly for you.”

 “Are you holding up well?” High Wire asked.

 “I’m getting there. Optimus once said that not all scars are physical, and he was totally right about that.” she said. “Mine are going to take time to heal.”

 They heard the sound of metal shifting and turned back to see Flamewar transform into her motorcycle alt mode and drive off. Arcee tried to shoot her, but the huntress disappeared in the forest.

 “Damn. So much for closure.” Arcee growled.

 “And now she’s stuck here on Terra.” High Wire noted. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”

 “So what now?” Darren asked.

 “Now we go home…partner.” Arcee smiled down at him. Darren smiled back and swung an arm around High Wire’s shoulders.

 Arcee knew that she would never get over losing Moonracer, but she still had the memories of a time when they were still a family, before they lost their home and world to the war. She knew she wouldn’t shoulder this burden alone; she had Jazz, Darren, the rest of the team. They were all a part of this.

 But she vowed to hunt down Flamewar and take that murderer down. She won’t let Darren or anyone else suffer the same way she had for so many centuries.

 ‘No matter how far you run or where you hide, I will find you, Flamewar. You will never even come close to my loved ones ever again…because I’m coming for you!’

 


	11. Zodiac

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to check out the official website for this series-link is in my profile.

Chapter 10-Zodiac

**Waldreich Mountains, Belka, 2003**

Theodore Harkins blew into his cold hands to warm them up for what felt like the thousandth time. He stared at his laptop and sighed at what little progress he made in his work. He only managed to type one paragraph before giving up.

 “I can’t do this.” He sighed and shut his laptop down before standing up and stretching his stiff body. Deciding to get some fresh air, or what could count as fresh in the icy cold mountains, he exited his tense into the bustling camp site around him.

 It was freezing cold in the Waldreich Mountains, one of the coldest places in Belka, especially in Fall. Looking around at the campsite, Theo saw dozens of people walking around with their own business. Only a small percentage of these people were members of his archaeological team, mainly students hand-picked from his class. The rest were hired help from a local team of amalgam mercenaries who do odd jobs for a price, and many of them didn’t look friendly at all.

 “About time you left your humble abode, Professor.” A female voice said behind him.

 Theo turned around and saw his coworker, Stephanie Bergen, walk up to him. Stephanie was a true beauty, with long red hair tied back into a ponytail and sharp glasses over ocean blue eyes. The unflattering beige jacket and thick grey pants did little to hide her toned figure and natural curves. The one thing that ruined her attractiveness was the cigarette held in her gloved hand.

 Stephanie was a fellow seeker of knowledge like Theo who took you her job just as serious, though she rarely showed it. There was a cold sharpness that was only natural in Belkan natives and had an almost obsession with Arian culture that rivaled Theo’s. Honestly, he figured it was the only reason they worked together as often as they did.

 “Well, I couldn’t have my dedicated students make this huge discovery without me.” Theo smiled. He flinched when he heard an explosion nearby. “Though if I wanted to hear loud noises every morning, I would’ve just gone back home.”

 Stephanie smiled a bit and took a puff from her cigarette. “Relax, Theo. These guys know what they’re doing. And their powers save us tons of money from buying dynamite.”

 “I suppose, but-oh!” Theo yelped in surprise as she pulled him aside to avoid a giant spiked balls rolling past them before slamming into a boulder, completely demolishing it. “Thank you.”

 “No problem.” She said and turned to the armored man. “Rath, watch it!”

 “Sorry, Ms. Bergen!” The esper said with a heavy Belkan accent.

 “That marks my first near death experience on this expedition.” Theo said mildly. “Hopefully we can avoid others.”

 “Yeah, these guys can get a little out of control then they get too carried away.”

 Theo looked at the espers working as their demolition team in the partially buried ruins. “Stephanie, are you sure we can trust them?” He asked. He wasn’t racist against espers or anything, but some of these people felt like they worked in the cartel. “Some of them have dealings with Karaba.”

 “A good friend of mine was kind enough to hire they’re services to help us on this expedition. I know some of them, so of course I trust them as well. She wouldn’t hire people who’d only backstab us in the end.” Stephanie said. “And we don’t really have a choice in the matter. This is something that cannot get out to the public eye until we’ve learned everything there is to know.”

 Reaching the edge of the camp, the pair looked down into a small valley that held quite possibly their greatest find yet. It was another Arian facility, but this one was mostly intact, save for being half buried inside a mountain. And because it was intact, they could see that it was a large building of some kind, not unlike research center found in modern times. Due to the amount of frozen rocks covering the entrance, it took a whole team of espers with explosive powers to uncover just enough of it to allow them entry into the building. Stephanie was having the time of her life, but Theo was nervous.

 “I still don’t think we should’ve kept this from the archeological committee. A discovery like this is too big to handle alone.” He said seriously. “Not to mention to leave it’s uncovering to the hands of, forgive my rudeness, thugs.”

 Stephanie sighed and took a big drag from her cigarette before tossing it into the snow. She gave him a hard look that belayed her annoyance.

 “Professor Harkins, if we told the Board, what would you think would happen? Do you really think they would be so merciful as to offer us their aid and use this information for the betterment of mankind?” She asked in a tone that reminded Theo of when his wife Julia was angry but didn’t show it. “Rest assured that they’re going to blab to the government, who will swoop in and confiscate everything we have on this site and then swipe it out of the country in the name of “national interest”. They will use any technology they find to create bigger guns to kill people faster, and I won’t let that happen. So yes, Professor, I am very sure about keeping this our little secret.”

 Theo couldn’t really reply to that. If there was one flaw aside from her smoking that Stephanie had was her unbridled hatred for the government and military. Not just in Belka, but in general. Her views on them were less than stellar, and whenever they so much as touched the subject when talking about archeological finds, her stoic visage would turn demonic and feelings that she expertly buried were brought to the surface.

 “Steph!” A young girl wearing an oversized puffy coat came running up to them. She gave the woman a big smile as she relayed the good news. “They’ve managed to open a hole in the rubble! The others are waiting for you!”

 “Good job, Lilly. Tell them to gather some of our heavy hitters and prepare for entry.”

 The girl nodded and scurried off, her little feet glowing as she suddenly boosted into the air on jets of flame before jumping into the valley. Stephanie watched her go with a sad look.

 “Lilly is a sweet girl. She manifested her powers when she was only five; her body metabolizes solar energy like a battery. That glow you saw was her using the solar energy in her cells to run and jump faster. When she first got her powers, she accidentally set her bed on fire while lighting up like the sun. when the people of her village found out, they treated her like she was going to burn down the whole village and avoided her like a plague.” Stephanie said. She walked into the dig site with Theo as they talked. “When I found her, they were trying to stone her to death, but I saved her and took the girl far from that place. Gave her some meaning to her life that wasn’t just trying to survive long enough to see the next sunrise. You have a daughter, Professor?”

 “Yes, a little girl. She’ll be turning 11 in December.” He said fondly. Stephanie grinned.

 “It must feel good to have a family, someone to love and love you in return.” She sighed.

 “Do…you have any family, Stephanie?”

 “Not since the day I was born.”

 They approached the large hole made in the pile of rubble that was made by the twin brothers that looked like they were made of rock. Stephanie and Theo joined the excavation team and peeked inside. It was very dark and flashlights would definitely be needed.

 “Shall we?” Stephanie asked, motioning to the hole. Theo nodded and entered first, switching on his flashlight.

 The entrance hall of the building was massive, just like most of the other Arian sites they’ve uncovered in other parts of the world. It was dark, but they could see that much of the interior remained standing, and there were many rooms and carts holding shattered objects strewn about the cracked floor. At first glance, Theo and Stephanie knew that this was no temple of worship or house, it was something else.

 They made their way deeper into the facility, checking the dark halls and broken lights, the first use of electricity used by mankind before the Void era. Stephanie saw one of the doors to a room had been shattered and went to investigate. Inside was a large room that looked very similar to a lab or a classroom. At the front of the room was a large board with highly detailed carvings etched into the stone and looked like they haven’t faded despite the centuries it’s been left there undiscovered.

 “What kind of language is that?” Theo asked as he read it over. “It’s nothing I’ve ever seen before when dealing with Arian language.”

 Stephanie tilted her head and her eyes widened as she made a realization. “Theo…I don’t think these are words at all. I think it’s math.”

 “Math?”

 “Yes. These look like equations.” She said and ran a hand along the stone.

 Theo hummed in thought. “Equations for what?”

 “Something glorious.” Stephanie breathed.

 Unknown to the two explorers, this discovery would mark the beginning of a long, bloody series of tragic events that would change their lives forever…and not in a good way. 

XXXXXX

 “Ha! I win again!”

 “Damn it! You’re cheating, I know it!”

 “You’re sitting right next to me, Tracer. You know it’s impossible for me to cheat.”

 “Yeah, well, I didn’t have my eyes on you.”

 “Typical noob excuses.”

 “Don’t call me a noob!”

 Roll Bar sighed and he rubbed his temples as he tried to work in his little workstation in the Minicon/human area of the Ark, studying the readings he was getting from the hammer, Mjolnir. He was working on it along with Liftor to give Wheeljack more time to work on his other projects. Prowl had been giving them a lot of pressure on trying to figure out just what the hammer was and its capabilities. The problem was that without Annie holding it, the hammer was little more than dead metal.

 And working next to arguing femmes wasn’t helping either. He looked over at Tracer and D-Va, who were both playing some fighting games Gina loaned them. From what he saw, D-Va had found a new hobby in playing online and beating her opponents to the ground with uncanny gaming skills.

 “You lose again, scrublord!” D-Va cheered. Tracer grumbled at her ninth loss and threw her controller down.

 “It’s not fir! I was getting lag on my side!”

 “We’re sitting right next to each other, Tracer, there is no lag between us!”

 “Good grief.” Roll Bar groaned and banged his head on the table.

 “Rough night?” Sparkplug asked as he walked up to the table, holding two cups of energon.

 “You could say that. Thanks.” Roll Bar took the cup and extended a wire from his arm into the cup to consume the energon (a useful evolution quirk for bots with no mouths). He hummed as his body registered the taste. “Is this Ferrum?”

 “Yeah, it is. Managed to snag some before Bulkhead chugged the whole tank down.” Sparkplug said and looked at the computer. “How long have you been looking at this?”

 “Three days, two hours, 49 minutes and 34-wait, 35 seconds.” The silver Minicon answered. “I’m filling in for Liftor so the guy can take a break.”

 “You should get some rest too. Optimus can hold Prowl off.”

 “I know, but it’s not just because of Prowl’s manhandling that I’m doing this.” Roll Bar looked at the data collected on Mjolnir. “Look at it, Sparkplug and tell me that you aren’t the least bit curious about how a hammer this small could allow a little girl enough power to drop a thirty foot monster. Even with cybertronian technology, such power would’ve been used up in a single day. But with the way Mjolnir works, it’s like actual magic.”

 “Advanced science is indistinguishable from magic, Roll Bar. It’s probably something form of technology we haven’t seen before.”

 “True that.” Roll Bar sighed. Something popped up on the screen, catching his attention. “What’s this?”

 “What’s wrong?”

 “An alert. Teletran-1 detected something.” Roll Bar typed in a command and a wall of text showed up on the screen. His eyes skimmed over the text and he gasped. “Primus…”

 “What?” Sparkplug asked.

 “Sparkplug, you need to see this.”

 In his office, Optimus was talking with Jazz about Arcee’s encounter with Flamewar in Yellowstone. Having heard her report, they were worried about what this ultimately meant in the long run.

 “Well, Flamewar’s stuck in Yellowstone at the moment, possibly without a terran vehicle mode. So that’s something.” Jazz said. He sighed and shook his head. “I can’t believe she made it here.”

 “How is Arcee?” Optimus asked.

 “She’s doing fine-better than I would’ve thought after dealing with her again. I think Darren had a hand in that. Kid’s good therapy for her.” Jazz smiled. “She needs a friend after that.”

 “Indeed. Flamewar’s been deemed MIA for mega-cycles, but it appears that she’s been spending her time hunting down organics.” Optimus said.

 “Think bucket-head might hunt her down instead?”

 “I doubt Flamewar will allow herself to be discovered that easily.”

 Ever since the tragic events of that night, Flamewar’s body hadn’t been found and she was declared MIA. Everyone thought she died from her wounds after the cell collapsed on her, but apparently she had been using it as a cover to escape detection and basically do whatever the hell she wanted without an officer looking over her shoulder. Megatron would most likely kill her on sight if, when, he found her. But Flamewar didn’t live this long unnoticed for nothing.

 The monitor on Prime’s desk lit up with Ratchet’s face appearing. _“Optimus, we have a situation.”_

“What is it, Ratchet?”

_“Sparkplug and Roll Bar just got an alert from Teletran. They’ve found the Exodus.”_

A few minutes later, the Autobots and Minicons were assembled in the Command Center with a holo-map in the middle of the room.

 “Satellite just detected a faint signal coming from Azteca. It’s originating here,” Ratchet pointed to the southeastern corner of Azteca. “Within Balsa.”

 “What did you do to find it?” Optimus asked Roll Bar.

 “Nothing. It just…came out of nowhere.” Roll Bar answered, completely stumped.

 “Peculiar, considering we’ve never been able to locate it until now.” Prowl muttered.

 Tracer looked up at the Autobots and spoke her mind. “Um, what are we waiting for? Our ship is right there, waiting for us! We need to go salvage it before the Cons come knocking.”

 “Tracer is right. That ship is all we have from Cybertron.” D-Va said. “And if the computers are still operational, maybe we can use them to find our lost comrades easier.”

 “Yes, that’s true, but it’s still a little suspicious that it suddenly appeared on our radar out of the blue.” Optimus said. Sparkplug shrugged.

 “Whatever the case, we need to find it now. I don’t want anyone but us getting what could still be left on those computers.” He said firmly. “And if you guys won’t go, then we will.”

 Optimus looked at the Minicons and knew they were fully willing to go with or without the Autobots. He resigned himself to their decision and turned to Ratchet. “Ratchet, open a ground bridge. Wheeljack, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, you’re with me. The rest of you will remain on standby.”

 “Thank you, Prime.” Sparkplug smiled. Optimus didn’t say anything, still feeling uneasy about this. Something was about to happen.

XXXXXX

 Optimus’ team exited the ground bridge in the middle of the Amazon rainforest in Azteca. Sparkplug and Jolt also came out, riding on their respective partners’ shoulders. The air was thick and damp with water and some droplets already started condensing on their armor.

 “Let’s go find the ship before I start to rust from all this humidity.” Jolt said, riding on top of Bumblebee’s shoulder.

 “Yes, time is off the essence, Autobots.” Optimus led the way on their trek through the forest. In their robot modes, of course, since there was too much vegetation for them to drive in their alt modes.

 Unknown to them, a camouflaged drone was following their movements. It was scouting the immediate area when it stumbled upon the ground bridge and the three Autobots moving in a certain direction. From a secret hideout, one of the drone operators switched his radio on.

 “Sir, we’ve got some visitors, just like you predicted.”

 “ _How many?”_ A deep voice said on the line.

 “Four, one of them is large. I think it’s their leader.”

_“Monitor them, but do not engage. I’ll prepare for our little introduction.”_

 “Yes sir.”

 Now phase 2 was ready to begin.

XXXXXX

 **“Alert: Stasis panel detected.”** Teletran-1 announced.

 “Now?” Longarm frowned. What perfect timing. “Where is it?”

 **“In southwestern Azteca, within the sovereign nation of San Salvador.”** Teletran said.

 Ratchet sighed and turned to Jazz. “Jazz-“

 “Already on the job. Let’s go, guys.” Jazz left the room along with Ironhide and Arcee. D-Va turned to Ratchet, who looked uneasy.

 “Ratchet, what’s wrong?” She asked.

 “The timing of this Minicon activation and the appearance of the Exodus is looking less like a coincidence by the minute.” He said seriously.

 “Do you think it’s a Decepticon trap?”

 “Possibly, but they would’ve done something by now.” Ratchet muttered. “Perhaps I’m just being paranoid, but something doesn’t seem right about this situation.”

 Ratchet had no idea how on the spot his assumptions were. He also didn’t know that the hidden threat in question was something no one was expecting.

 XXXXXX

 After trudging through the dense jungle for a few minutes, Prime and his team came upon a small canyon at the edge of the forest. On the other side down below they could see the wreckage of an alien ship buried in the rock-the Exodus, or what’s left of it.

 “There is it.” Sparkplug breathed. It’s been centuries since he had last seen the ship that ferried his people off Cybertron. “I never thought I’d see it again. Come on, let’s-“

 “Wait.” Bumblebee said. He narrowed his eyes and slowly climbed down into the canyon, hooking onto a cliff and magnifying his optical vision for a closer look.

 “What do you see?” Optimus asked.

 “I think I see tire tracks. Multiple tracks going in and out of the ship.” Bumblebee answered. “And they’re fresh.”

 Optimus’ eyes narrowed and his reached back to draw his ion rifle from his back armature. “Proceed with caution.”

 They climbed down into the valley and cautiously approached the ship. When they got close enough, they saw that it wasn’t the entire ship that sat half buried in the rocks-only the front half, the rear of the ship was still lost. Then they heard a mechanical noise coming from the ship and saw four machines rolling out of a hole in the ship’s hull.

 They were talos, four units in all with a humanoid torso mounted on tank treads, similar to the Osean M4 Murphy talos. These machines had dark green and black armor with red visors and two units had two smoothbore cannons on their shoulders, while the other two were equipped with shoulder-mounted six-chambered missile pods and machine guns on their forearms.

 In the middle of the talos formation was an armored truck towing a large crate behind it, in which its contents emanated a familiar energy source that only Optimus recognized. The pilots froze as they noticed the Autobots and didn’t waste a second before open firing on them.

 The Autobots were assaulted with a hail of high caliber bullets and missiles being shot at them. Optimus and Bulkhead backed off while Wheeljack took out an overshield to block the enemy fire, but Bumblebee ran forward, powerlinking with Jolt.

 “Bee, fall back!” Bulkhead yelled.

 Bumblebee ignored him and fired a blast from his solar agitator at one of the talos, destroying its treads. He fired two more blasts at the others when they redirected their fire at him, making them back off. He pressed his assault and focused on the armored vehicle. He won’t kill the humans inside, but he wasn’t going to let them use him for target practice.

 As he neared the crate, a red beam of energy was fired from the sky and hit him in the chest. The explosion blew him back off his feet and to the ground, smoke rising from his chest. Another beam was fired at him, but Optimus rushed in and blocked it, taking the shot to his shoulder with a grunt.

 Looking up, he saw a black airship hovering over the canyon, and from the gondola, more soldiers in black uniforms and silver masks slid down tow lines. One of them actually jumped down from the airship to land on top of the Exodus’ hull without even a stumble before standing up straight.

 This man was clad in a black bodysuit with body armor and an assault rifle attached to his back. Only his face remained uncovered, revealing his short black hair, thick beard and piercing storm grey eyes. His most notable feature was the vertical, and fully operational, third eye on his forehead. He and Optimus stared at each other unblinkingly before he heard Ratchet calling him on the comm.

 “ _Optimus!”_ Ratchet exclaimed. His voice was faint beneath the growing static.

 “Ratchet, we have come into contact with a hostile human force!” Optimus said. “Can you get a read on our position?”

 “ _No, Optimus, I’m having trouble maintaining contact with you! Wait…I think someone’s hacked into our comm frequency!”_

“Greetings, Autobots. It’s nice to meet you in person at last.” The man said in a powerful tone. His voice could be heard not just on the team’s comm-units, but also in the Ark, transmitting his message to everyone.

 “Who are you?” Optimus asked.

 “I am Aries, general of the Organization of the Zodiac, but we’re mostly known as OZ.”

 “How do you know of us?” Wheeljack asked, standing over Bumblebee. He was still trying to contact the Ark, but couldn’t get a message through. His signal was being blocked.

 “We’ve already known about your presence on our planet. Contrary to what you believe, you shadow war has not gone unnoticed by some our more…aware members.” Aries smirked.

 “You talk big for a human in a fancy costume!” Sparkplug growled. “What the hell do you think you’re doing with our ship? We aren’t going to let you steal our technology to sell on the black market!”

 “Who said I was going to sell it? This technology is more useful in helping OZ achieve its goals.” Aries replied. “You see, we are at a crucial point in history, Autobots. For centuries, humans have evolved, built great civilizations, only for our base instincts to cause us to tear everything they’ve built to the ground. We have ceased to evolve, and espers are merely a mutated stepping stone onto our next step in that evolution. We lie in stasis, unable to move forward, stuck in place by their animalistic desires and follies that make them repeat history over and over again. Oz simply wants to guide mankind on the path to achieving their true form.”

 “And you plan to use our technology to do this?” Optimus growled. Aries’ rhetoric sounded very similar to what a fanatical femme once said in the past, and he didn’t like where it was going.

 “Yes, but not just with this.” he pointed at them. “We need you cybertronians too. Mechanical organisms with real, tangible souls. You hold the key to achieving a new form of evolution with your bodies, your very souls, and we need you to realize our goals.”

 “Like we’re going to let you do that!” Bulkhead growled.

 “Unfortunately for you, you don’t have a choice.” Aries said.

 Aries took a deep breath and exhaled, firing a beam of energy from his third eye. Optimus grabbed Sparkplug and rolled to the side to avoid the beam as it blew a deep hole in the ground. Bulkhead helped Wheeljack pulled Bumblebee behind some rocks and ducked down when another beam came dangerously close to his head. As if that wasn’t enough, the airship’s mounted guns swerved and fired on them with anti-tank rounds that punctured their armor and forced them all to fall back.

  “ _Boss bot, you there?”_

“Jazz, we’re under attack by humans! We need immediate assistance on our end!” Wheeljack yelled.

_“No can do, Jackie. We’re getting the same rough treatment on our end as well. Looks like that stasis panel we detected was a ruse.”_

“What’s your status?” Optimus asked.

 “ _We were caught in an ambush and Arcee took a bad hit. They’re using weapons designed to take out tanks, Optimus. And what’s worse is that we can’t contact Ratchet for a ground bridge.”_

This was very intricately planned. Optimus looked over the rocks and saw the soldiers lifting the crate on top of the Exodus and were hooking it to the airship for transport. No matter what, they had to retrieve or destroy that crate so the humans couldn’t abuse their technology.

 “Wheeljack, watch over Bumblebee. Bulkhead, follow me!” Optimus and Bulkhead ran from cover and transformed, driving at high speed towards the ship.

 Aries frowned and fired another beam at them. They swerved around each blast, staying on course as the beams tore up the canyon floor. Bulkhead broke off from Prime and drove at Aries, shifting forms and lunging at him. Aries fired a beam into his shoulder that knocked him back, but then he saw Optimus getting closer. Gritting his teeth, Aries fired another beam and hit Optimus in the nose of his truck mode, making him flipping into the air.

 “Optimus!” Wheeljack exclaimed.

XXXXXX

 Jazz’s team wasn’t have much luck with their new enemies. They were pinned down in the ruins of a Mayan city that was already wasting away before they dropped in and started blowing stuff up. The Autobots were engaged in a fierce firefight with OZ forces that had surrounded them and were shooting them from all sides.

 Arcee was sitting behind a wall trying to keep water from seeping into her wounded thigh. One of the talos had fired a kinetic shell that tore into her leg and dropped her. Jazz and Ironhide were covering her, but they couldn’t do much with their enemy using the trees to mask their positions.

 “I’m getting really sick of this scrap!” Ironhide growled, firing a pulse blast into the forest after ducking under a missile. “I didn’t come all the way out here to this fragging hot place to get a face full of bullets!”

 “Feel free to go out there and tell them that.” Jazz said, firing is photon rifle at them, only to get shot at. “You doin’ alright there Cee?”

 “Yeah, just trying to ignore the pain.” Arcee said. She looked over the wall and brought a red battle visor over her eyes to zero in on a part of the forest where she was getting a faint signal. “Jazz, I think they have a Minicon with them.”

 “What?”

 “Yes, I’m detecting a really faint stasis panel signal. They have a panel with them and must’ve been using it to draw us here.” She said. At that moment, a black military helicopter rose from the forest above the tree line and inside were two men holding onto a crate. “They’re already on the move!”

 “Jazz, get the panel!” Ironhide said. He detached his two arm cannons and connected them into one larger cannon.

 “But what about-“

 “We’ll be fine. We’ve been through worst scraps than this.” Ironhide grinned. “I’ll cover you.”

 Jazz nodded and ran out into the open. Ironhide stood up and fired his amalgamated cannon, which he called his “boomstick” at the attacking talos, blowing a huge chunk of their immediate surroundings into a fireball. One blast took out two talos parked close together, and another took out another mecha supported by missile launching infantry. That was enough to send the soldiers and talos packing when he starting shooting down trees to bury them.

 The helicopter that was hovering in place positioned itself so it had Ironhide in its sights. That was when Ironhide and Arcee noticed the twelve-chambered missile pods mounted on the wings. Ironhide grabbed Arcee and leapt from their hiding spot just as the helicopter fired multiple rockets at them, leveling the ancient temple with explosions that blasted rock and dirt everywhere.

 Once it finished with its assault, the helicopter began to fly away, but Jazz continued to pursue it from below the trees. One way or another, he wasn’t leaving this place without a souvenir.

XXXXXX

 “I still can’t get Optimus or Jazz on the comms. “Ratchet growled, frustrated. “Somehow they’re blocking our communications. Prowl-“

 “I’m on it.” Prowl ran out of the room to the ground bridge on the lower deck.

 “How are they doing this?” The medic asked himself. This attack was way too organized to be random. “We need to get them out of our systems before they cause too much damage.”

 “Maybe we can hack their systems by backtracking the signal they’re blocking us with.” D-Va suggested.

 “Cyber warfare is not my forte, D-Va. This is mostly something Gina can do with her eyes closed.” Ratchet said. Roll Bar shook his head.

 “Except Gina’s not her, only us. And we can manage something.” He grabbed a computer and started working. “I might need some help on this one, Ratchet. Let’s show these guys how outclassed they are.”

XXXXXX

 Optimus flew through the air, seemingly thrown asunder by the attack that hit him dead center. But then he transformed in mid-air and threw something at Aries. Aries thought it was a bomb, but to his surprise, it was a Minicon-Sparkplug!

 Sparkplug crashed into Aries and they both tumbled off the ship. Aries kicked him away as they hit the ground and jumped up. Before Sparkplug could do anything, Aries charged at him and slugged him hard in the face. He stumbled back from the surprisingly strong punch and drew his blaster on Aries. Surprisingly, Aries didn’t seem all that worried at being held at gunpoint, and he even smiled at the Minicon.

 “So you’re willing to fight. Good,” Aries cracked his neck. “I was itching to fight one of you.”

 Aries reached back and took out two long, curved blades that looked like Egyptian kopeshes. A flick of the wrist and the adamantium blades began to slowly increase in temperature, making them heat up at temperatures hot enough to cut through solid metal or stone.

 “Wonderful.” Sparkplug said.

 Aries charged at him and slashed wildly at him, forcing him to back away. The blades were red hot and more than enough to cut right through him. When Aries went for a downward strike, Sparkplug grabbed his arm and threw him over his shoulder into the ground. Aries rolled to his feet and fired his eye beam, almost hitting Sparkplug in the head. It was just a split second movement that allowed the concussion beam to sail over his shoulder and exploded against the canyon wall. Aries spun around and kicked him in the chest, knocking him almost a foot back from the kick alone before landing on his back.

 “You should’ve known better than to fight a warrior alone!” Aries took a deep breath to finish Sparkplug off when a hand grabbed the back of his head and diverted his aim just as he fired the beam.

 The beam cut through the air, tearing a deep gash into the canyon wall and destroying one of the helicopters. The burning fireball that was the helicopter landed on the crate, snapping its tow cables and sending it crashing into the ground. Aries reached back and threw his intruder off his back. It was Jolt, who leapt back to help Sparkplug to his feet. Growling, Aries went to fight the Minicons when he heard the airship pilot’s voice over the radio.

_“Sir, we’ve got a situation!”_

“What is it?” Aries growled. He didn’t have time for this!

 “ _Some hacker’s using the signal we used to block their communications to invade our network. They’ll be in the system any minute now!”_

Aries snarled, but kept his temper at bay. “Deal with it.”

_“Yes, sir.”_

XXXXXX

 Ratchet and Roll Bar worked as fast as they could. They made a makeshift virus that was supposed to infect OZ’s computer systems via their jamming signal and shut them down long enough to provide aid for their comrades. But things went south when their systems froze and the image of a bomb on the verge of exploding appeared on the main monitor.

 “Slag! They’re planting to delete our software with a counter-virus!” Ratchet said.

 “We won’t be able to get rid of it in time!”

 Unbeknownst to them, D-Va hurried over to a control panel and got to work on her own, her fingers moving over the keys at lightning fast speeds. Once she was done forming the program, she pressed enter and watched the bomb virus disappear before it could reach 0. Ratchet and Roll Bar were puzzled at this turn of fortune.

 “Um…what did you guys do?” Tracer asked.

 “Nothing, I don’t know what happened.” Ratchet said, confused.

 “Guys, let’s focus on the matter at hand, shall we?” D-Va said. Ratchet nodded and got back to work. No time to waste pondering good luck.

XXXXXX

 Jazz leapt from tree to tree with agility betraying his size. He kept the helicopter in his sights as much as he could and waited for the right moment to strike the gunship. He waited in a break in the tree line to make his move.

 Leaping onto a branch, he pushed off and leapt into the air, lunging at the gunship. The soldier manning the turret gave a terrified scream and fired at Jazz. High caliber bullets pieced Jazz’s metal skin, but he didn’t even flinch as he punched the turret and the gunman, breaking his arms and knocking him out. He hung onto the side of the helicopter and his added weight caused it to lose attitude. It spun out of control as Jazz reached inside and grabbed the crate from a scared soldier, jumping off after giving him a cocky smirk.

 The pilot cursed when he saw the Autobot leave with their prize but couldn’t do much about it. He quickly regained control of the gunship and looked back to see one of the soldiers out cold with mangled arms and the other stuck in his seat shivering, looking like he soiled himself. Poor bastard probably did.

 He groaned and turned the helicopter around to fly to the rendezvous point. General Aries was going to tear them to pieces.

XXXXXX

Three gunships were positioned in front of the airship firing a barrage of hellfire missiles at the Autobots. Optimus and Bulkhead were covered in serious burns from the constant onslaught, as was Wheeljack, who was looking over a conscious but still weak Bumblebee, who had a smoking hole in his chest where he was hit. The soldiers were once again attaching the crate to the tow cables and were attempting to lift the cargo back into the airship.

Sparkplug and Jolt struggled to evade another of Aries’ eye beams as it blew a crater into the ground, the explosion knocking them off their feet. The general ran forward and started slashing at them with his blades, scoring a cut on Jolt’s arm before Sparkplug rammed his shoulder into his chest. Aries grunted and stumbled back, and Jolt pressed the attack by throwing a punch at his face…only to have his fist caught by the man.

 “How many times must I tell you,” Aries growled, squeezing Jolt’s fist painfully. “That you are outclassed!”

 Aries wrapped his arms around Jolt’s body and lifted him up, slamming him into the ground. Pulling him up by his rotors, Aries threw Jolt into Sparkplug, smacking them away. He swung his swords and marched towards the Minicons, but stopped when he got another call on his radio.

 “ _Sir…we have a problem!”_

“The next words from your mouth better be something good or you’ll be meeting whatever god you worship within the next ten seconds!” Aries growled.

 The soldier swallowed the whimper bubbling in his throat and reported the bad news. “ _Sir. We just got word from Beta Team. They lost the package.”_

Aries inhaled sharply through his nose, and released it calmly, closing his eyes. “Pull me up, Private. We’re leaving with our prize.”

Walking under the airship, Aries stepped onto a cable and allowed it to pull him up. Jolt started running and transformed, flying over to Aries and firing his guns at him. Aries almost snarled and fired a beam at the red mini-helicopter and the explosion blasted Jolt out of the sky. He looked over to the Autobots and traded glances with Optimus as he vanished into the airship.

 Once he was in, Aries made his way to the cockpit, where he came upon another piece of bad news.

 “Sir, we’ve lost contact with our forces! Something’s wrong with our communications systems.”

 “It’s the virus. They sent it back to us!” The copilot said. Aries’ eyes went wide and he gripped the pilot seat.

 “Stop it before it reaches us!”

 “It’s no use, sir. It’s already-“

 The electronic controls suddenly began shorting out and the airship began losing control in the air. The pilots had to take manual control as their auto-pilot was shutdown. Under the airship, the tow cables couldn’t handle the constant tugging from the crate and the wires snapped, letting it fall to the ground once again. This time, there was no time to get it back before the gunships ran out of ammo and the Autobots gained the upper hand.

 “All units, we’re pulling out. Disengage and rendezvous at Point-Grid Omega.” He ordered. Everyone looked at him in shock and one of the privates from earlier cautiously made his protests known.

 “Sir, we can’t leave without the cargo. We still have them on the ropes. To run would be nothing short of cowardice in their eyes!” He said passionately. Aries looked at him blankly, then nodded.

 “Your opinion is noted.” Then Aries spun around and slashed his blade across the man’s neck, severing his head in a bloody geyser in one clean stroke. The headless corpse collapsed to the floor, spurting blood profusely. “Would anyone else like to fill his shoes?”

 No one said anything.

 “Good. Now follow my orders and pull out of the area.”

 Aries looked outside the window down at the Autobots. There will be other battles, other chances to fight and defeat them. He knew they would meet again in the future.

 With the airship already leaving, the gunships and talos also retreated from the canyon, laying down cover fire to keep the Autobots at bay. Optimus ran over to Sparkplug and Jolt after making sure Bumblebee was okay.

 “Are you alright?”

 “Yeah, we’re fine. A bit beaten and bruised, but nothing serious.” Sparkplug said. “I’m just glad they didn’t snatch any of our cargo.”

 “Jazz, what’s your status?” Optimus called.

 “ _We’re fine on our end, boss bot. After we snagged the panel, they hauled ass.”_ Jazz said.

 “Thank the Allspark.” Optimus breathed and reconnected to the Ark. “Ratchet, we need a ground bridge and immediate medical aid for Bumblebee.”

XXXXXX

 Once the Autobots returned to the Ark, they were rushed to the medibay to take their time in the CR chambers, namely Arcee and Bumblebee. Ratchet and Longarm worked on the bots that had less severe wounds, while Prowl led the effort to recover anything useful from the wreck of the Exodus now that the area was secure.

 The object that OZ was so intent on stealing was a giant cube almost as large as a basic energon cube. It was dark grey with cybertronian glyphs carved into its surface. Though unassuming at first, it felt warm to the touch, like it was alive.

 “So those OZ goons tried to steal this thing?” Ironhide said, frowning at the cube. The thing certainly didn’t look very special.

 “This cube was supposed to be one of our lifelines in case we some…new arrivals. It’s a proto-cube.” Sparkplug said as he ran a hand along its smooth surface. “We found these inside the tunnel system inside Epistemus. They’re cube made out of pure sentio metallico that our protoforms are made of.”

 “We planned on using the sentio metallico from these cubes to make blank protoforms to place newly budded Sparks inside of.” Roll Bar explained.

 The Autobots looked intrigued by this interesting way of giving life to new Sparks. Being asexual, cybertronians could only reproduce by a process called forging, in which a designated area called a hot spot had Sparks ignited and harvested along with the birth metal they manifested in. This birth metal would coalesce around the Spark to form a protoforms, the embryonic stage of a cybertronian and then mature into a fully grown adult within two weeks or less. Budding was a new form of reproduction that was only recently discovered following the Great Exodus, in which cybertronians would randomly-and violently-give birth to protoforms from their own bodies. The protoforms born from budding had absolutely no genetic relation to the bot who birthed them. To this day, the process was random and no one had figured out how to control or even predict a budding process.

 Blanks were protoforms that were fully formed without a Spark and were basically life-sized mannequins that required a Spark in order to take shape, though they could be molded ahead of time. Sparks placed within these blanks were considered to be cold constructed, as the Sparks in question didn’t forge within the planet normally.

 “With no connection to Vector Sigma, we had to find a way to preserve the Sparks in case anyone on the ship suddenly started budding.” Sparkplug said. “This was our answer to that dilemma.”

 “And you never thought to inform us of the contents of the Exodus?” Prowl asked, frowning down at him. Sparkplug met his glare with one of his own.

 “I didn’t think it was worth mentioning until the time came.” Sparkplug replied defensively. “And I certainly didn’t know we had to run things by you to get approval, Prowl.”

 Optimus placed a hand on Prowl’s shoulder to get him to back off. “What matters is that we have completed our objective today. However, there is still the matter of humans knowing of our existence on this world. We are compromised, and at odds with a possibly dangerous faction that seeks to abuse our technology and biology to cause harm to the rest of the world.”

 “You think they might be that bad a threat to us?” Bulkhead asked. Sure he wasn’t going to underestimate any humans, but these OZ people were no real military or sovereign country.

 “OZ has made it clear that they intend to use us to achieve their goals, whatever they are. They had the firepower, and they possibly have connections all over the world. They could be a third side in this war for Terra, and they are a very tangible threat to Autobots and Decepticons alike.” Optimus said grimly, looking at every member of his team. “We are all targets now.”

XXXXXX

 Aries sat in his personal quarters, the lights off save for his computer screen. He was watching the footage of the earlier encounter with the Autobots, especially Optimus Prime.

 “Gods with metal bodies falling from the heavens to grace us lowly mortals. You claim to protect humanity, but is humanity really worth saving in its present state? Oh, Optimus Prime, if you could see how savage humans could be, would you still fight for them?” Aries muttered. “Or would you allow them to wallow in their own filth?”

 His door slid open and a young woman clad in a form-fitting black bodysuit walked in with a seductive stride. She was a beauty, with fair skin and long, silky black hair and onyx black eyes. She smiled as she leaned on the back of Aries’ chair, playing with his hair.

 “I take it things didn’t go as planned?” She asked sweetly. Aries grunted, not looking away from the screen.

 “No, they did not. But we finally got to see our visitors up close and personal. They are every bit as marvelous as the Axiom had foreseen.” He said. “They are strong, but the Autobots’ pacifist habits will get them killed.”

 “So? More metal for the scrapyard then.” The woman laughed. Aries looked back at her, his third eye gleaming red.

 “What do you want, Aquarius?”

 “Orders from on high. We’re to begin mobilizing against the cybertronians.” Aquarius said and leaned no the desk. “About time, really. Watching the ass of a jeep is not my definition of fun.”

 “There is no shame in learning about our enemy. They are not to be underestimated, Aquarius.” Aries warned her. “They’ll be ready for us, next time.”

 “And so will we.”

 She pressed a button on his desk and the screen switched to a security fee of a research lab down below the facility. In the middle of the room was a large metal cube, one that was pilfered from the Exodus before the Autobots had arrived. Cables were hooked up to it, and scientists were studying it intently under controlled conditions, deciphering the large amounts of data they acquired from the cube.

 “They will fight, but in the end they will die.” Aquarius smirked. “And we will obtain the means to truly evolve this world. They’re judgment day is just beginning.”


	12. Absent Heroes

Chapter 11-Absent Heroes

 It was early morning in the Dakote National Forest when the dark night sky slowly turned into a bright canvas of orange and yellow before turning bright blue. The air warmed up and diurnal wildlife awakened to the dawn of a new day. The sunrise itself was one of nature’s greatest sights.

 Inside the tent he shared with Darren, High Wire awoke from his recharge and say up, taking care not to tear the tent with his wheel. He could’ve easily recharged outside, but Darren was insistent on allowing High Wire to sleep inside from the cold weather. He looked beside him to see Darren also waking up thanks to their tent getting a full blast of sunlight streaming through the treetops.

 “Good morning, Darren.” High Wire greeted his friend.

 “Morning, High Wire.” Darren said drowsily. He sat up in his sleeping bag and yawned. “Had a good sleep?”

 “I did, though I could’ve done without the sleeping bag.” He raised his arm and pulled the torn remains of his sleeping bag off the wheel on his arm.

 “Blame Annie, she thought it was a good idea.” Darren said and crawled out of the tent.

 Darren got to his feet and stretched his stiff muscles, feeling a bit cramped from sleeping next to a Minicon. The fresh morning air helped wake him up and helped his mood. The forest certainly looked beautiful this early in the morning.

 One would think that after almost being killed by Arcee’s ex would scare him out of being in forests for a while, but he needed some time with other people-preferably his size. Better to take a break from the alien craziness before he has a nervous breakdown. He heard a grunt and turned to see Gina already out of her tent doing some stretches of her own.

 The blonde girl, who would’ve rather spent her weekend in her workshop than camping in the wilderness away from her robotic toys, was wearing a thin short sleeve shirt, brown shorts and hiking boots. Her hair was tied into a bun and she wasn’t wearing her signature glasses for once.

 On his right, Annie was also waking up, though she was more violent in her awakening and was struggling to push Grindor off her. She didn’t have a good night.

 The kids and their Minicons were having a little camping trip. Namely to get away from the chaos of their normal lives, considering all three children had been through some stressful situations in the past month. When they explained their plans to the Autobots, they got different reactions to their decision; Optimus, Prowl and Bulkhead were against them going off on their own out of fear for their personal safety with the Cons on the move. Jazz, Bumblebee and Wheeljack thought the kids deserved some time to themselves without Autobot interference. Arcee was hesitant on the matter and Ironhide didn’t give a damn.

 In the end, it was Sparkplug’s decision to allow the kids to go, but only if they took their guardians with them. It was a solution that everyone agreed upon, and later on they all would be slightly embarrassed about making such a big deal about it.

 Darren took a deep breath of fresh air and smiled, glancing over at Gina, who was touching her toes. He blushed as his eyes roamed over her body, just now remembering that Gina was an early bloomer and noticing how her clothes hugged her mature figure. He looked away but Gina caught him staring and smirked.

 “Like the view, Darren?” She asked.

 “Y-yeah, everything looks amazing in the morning. The forest looks lovely.” Darren said, clearing his throat.

 “Oh come on, Darren. You can’t fool me.” Gina laughed and walked over to him. “You’re a growing boy, it’s only natural that you would start having…thoughts.”

 Darren groaned. Gina should not be this good at teasing at her age, it was sinful. Annie climbed out of her tent, pushing Grindor out of the way and looked over at her brother and friend.

 “Morning guys. What’d I miss?” Annie yawned.

 “Darren was trying to strip me with his eyes.” Gina said with a giggle.

 “I was not!” He yelled.

 Gina giggled louder and went to wake up Sureshock. This was going to be such a fun trip!

 XXXXXX

In another part of the same forest, the serenity of mother nature was interrupted when a ground bridge opened up in the middle of a clearing. Out of the portal stepped the Decepticon spymaster, Soundwave, who dismissed the bridge as soon as he exited it and looked around. His enhanced senses caught every sound of the wildlife around him, as well as the minute sounds that normal human ears wouldn’t even be able to detect with artificial aid. Seeing that he was alone, Soundwave opened up his chest cavity and deployed two cassettes, who transformed into the twins Rumble and Frenzy.

 “Hey, boss!” Rumble grinned up at Soundwave. “What’s the job today?”

 “Reconaissance. We are to locate the source of a wayward energy signal detected within this general region.” Soundwave said. “Laserbeak has already been searching the forest for the origin point, but we will cover more ground on our end.”

 “Don’t worry, boss. You can count on me!” Rumble saluted, almost knocking himself out with his clawed hand.

 “Quit being a kiss ass, bro!” Frenzy sneered. “Besides, Soundwave knows I’m the mech for the job!”

 “As if,” Rumble snorted. “You couldn’t find your way out of a paper bag!”

 “Like you’re any better fumble fingers!” Frenzy yelled back and marched away. “I’m bouncing. I can’t even look at your ugly mug anymore.”

 “Ugly? I’m your twin you stupid genius!”

 Soundwave ignored the bickering twins and communicated telepathically to Laserbeak. The avian mech had been tracking a military convoy in the region for two weeks now and from his knowledge, he knew that there were no official military installations this deep in the country. Hence, it was curious to see the Osean military have a significant presence here.

 Laserbeak had yet to locate the base but he did locate some signs that it was hidden in one of the natural formations that were worth checking out. Without another word, Soundwave walked into the forest, leaving Rumble and Frenzy to their sibling spat.

XXXXXX

 After breakfast, the group went to a lake that was a little ways off from their campsite. In order to keep a lookout for any passing campers, Gina sent out the Sky Spy to keep watch from the trees. High and Wire decided to take up fishing, which was hard with Annie dive bombing off a tree into the water.

 Gina and Sureshock were watching Darren practice with his powers, wholly entranced as he used his telekinesis to weave a stream water around his body with slow motions. Sureshock noted how much at ease he was compared to his past experiences of using his powers.

 “You’re getting better, Darren.” Gina praised, not taking her eyes off the clear stream that moved through the air like a snake. “I’ve never seen a psychic control water like that.”

 “Well, Jazz said mind over matter. Theoretically, I could probably do a lot of things with my powers.” Darren said.

 “You’ve never made attempts to practice before. What changed?” Sureshock asked.

 “Everything, really. What happened with Flamewar was a big wake up call. My powers are the only thing that kept me and High Wire alive when Flamewar was gunning for us. If anything like that happens again, I want to be ready.” Darren said. He wriggled his fingers and made the water steam vibrate in the air before having it poke Gina in the cheek, earning a giggle from her. “Now that I’m actually making an attempt, it’s easier than I thought it would be.”

 “Telekinetics are limited only by their mental limitations. I heard that from an Autobot general with the same power as yours.” Sureshock said, gaining Darren’s attention.

 “Who?”

 “Elita-1.”

 “You told me about her.” Gina said. “She’s the leader of the Valkyries, that all-female Autobot strike team.”

 “The very same. She’s an outlier, a telekinetic just like Darren and a really powerful one.” Sureshock said. “I’ve heard stories of her taking on whole platoons of Cons with her team and taking out entire groups of them with her powers. From what people say about her fighting style, it’s nothing short of magical.”

 “Someone’s a fan girl.” Gina teased. Sureshock lightly bumped her shoulder.

 High Wire and Grindor say on a rock staring down at the water with their fishing rods waiting for something to bite their lines. They sat in that position for twenty minutes already and nothing had even come close to biting their bait.

 “Hey, High Wire?” Grindor said.

 “Yeah?”

 “You catch anything?”

 “No.” High Wire answered. “You?”

 “Nope. Nothing on my end.”

 “That’s a shame.”

 They went back to sitting in silence for another five minutes before Grindor sagged his shoulders and signed. “Primus, this is boring.”

 “I know.” High Wire agreed.

 That was when the Sky Spy flew out of the trees and landed on High Wire’s shoulder, blinking the red light on its camera head repeatedly in a pattern. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at the drone.

 “What’s it saying?” Darren asked.

 “Scrap,” Grindor said. “Guys, we’ve got someone heading our way!”

 “Cheese it!” Annie yelled at the Minicons, who immediately dropped their activities and took on their alt modes.

 The bushes rustled and Darren motioned for the girls to act normal while he went to investigate. Reaching out, he jumped back as someone poked his head from the bushes, surprising him.

 “Kevin?”

 “Darren?” The taller boy blinked. “Hey, man!”

 The two boys smiled and high fived each other with a laugh. Annie and Gina also went to greet the dark skinned boy, who was dressed in loose fitting pants and a green sleeveless shirt.

 “What are you guys doing out here? I didn’t peg you three for spending time in the great old outdoors.” Kevin said.

 “We just decided to go camping to get away from the chaos of civilization.” Darren was a little ashamed at how quickly that lie came to him. Well, it wasn’t a lie exactly. It was just a little wordplay. “What about you.”

 “I…wanted some time for myself. A little me-time to clear my head and stuff.” Kevin said.

 “No surprise, mister basketball star.” Gina grinned. “So, where’s Penny? She still reeling from that ass whooping her toy robot took up front or did she get caught up in figuring out the mechanics of tent making?”

 “Nothing like that, though she’s still looking for Zeus’ head.” Kevin gave her a look at that. “She’s hanging back home to work on something with her friend Charlotte.”

 “Kev, we were just about to have a swim in the lake. You wanna come?” Annie asked.

 “Sorry, but I’m heading over to a pond to fish.” Kevin said.

 “Fish huh?” Annie glanced over at High Wire and Grindor, who were both dreading another long and uneventful fishing session. “Can we come along?”

 “Yeah, we barely talk these days. It’s been a while since we socialized and all that.” Darren said.

 “Sure, the more the merrier.” Kevin smiled.

 The kids collected their things and the Minicons before following Kevin through the forest. The Minicons were a bit unsure about letting another human in on their trip, but there was little they could do at this point. Besides, it might be for just a moment.

 Kevin led them down a path that made traversing through the wilderness easier on their feet and almost made it to the clearing he spoke about when he spotted something on the ground. “Hey, what’s that?”

 He pointed at something glinting from under a huge rock. Darren leaned down for a closer look and saw that it wasn’t anything natural, it was metal. The Minicons also noticed this and instantly became worried.

 “It looks like a metal door.” Gina noted. “Obviously it’s supposed to be secret, given its shoddy hiding place.”

 “Maybe we should call the rangers.” He said as he took out his phone. Annie gave him a look.

 “Seriously? What if this was made by ‘them’?” She asked, careful not to give out too much information with Kevin around. If the Decepticons were possibly involved, then it was better to keep as little outside involvement as possible.

 Darren thought about it and nodded. He dialed in Ratchet’s emergency number they were given for, but as he did so, he saw that he wasn’t getting a signal. “Huh…?”

 “Freeze!”

 The kids froze as they were suddenly surrounded by a dozen soldiers pointing assault rifles at them. Darren felt High Wire move slightly, but squeezed his handlebars to keep him still. It wouldn’t do to blow their cover now. A woman with short red hair dressed in a black combat uniform stepped to the front.

 “What are you kids doing on military property?” She asked.

 “Military property? This place is on military grounds?” Gina blinked. “Don’t military bases usually have barbed wire fences and signs that say keep out?”

 “You know, to avoid shit like this from happening?” Annie said snidely, more annoyed than scared. The woman glared at her.

 “Major Keller,” Another soldier walked up to her. He was obviously the same rank as the woman, but he carried himself as if he was of a higher position. “We have to take them in.”

 “Take them-they’re children!” Keller said, glaring at him. “You can’t seriously think that they’re spies, Lancer.”

 “Two of the most dangerous espers in Karaba are barely over eighteen. I’m not taking any chances.” Lancer motioned for his men to move in. “Take them into custody.”

 “Lancer, this is stupid!” Keller growled.

 “Orders are orders, major. You’re welcome to argue with Fredericks about it.” Lancer said, glaring back at her.

 Kevin groaned while Darren shared a tired glance with the girls. This was just a typical day for the Autobots’ friends.

 Up in the trees, unseen by the humans, Laserbeak watched the exchange and smiled. He sent a transmission to Soundwave.

_“Soundwave, I think I’ve just found what we’re looking for.”_

XXXXXX

 Because of the base’s secret location, the kids were blindfolded as they were escorted inside. They couldn’t see a thing, but judging from the metallic echoes and the sound of something mechanical activating suggested that they were on an elevator of some kind, which meant they were being taken underground. The Minicons made sure to take in every detail so they could break the kids out if they need to.

 Once inside the base, which was a massive facility that was built inside the interior of a hollowed out mountain, the kids were separated from the Minicons and taken to a holding cell under armed guard. Their blindfolds were taken off and they were left alone. They took this time to process their situation, in which Annie vented her feelings by ranting.

 “Of course this fucking happens on our camping trip.” She growled. “Can’t go a freaking day without someone trying to screw us over, human or otherwise.”

 “Annie, calm down. If they let us talk to someone, then maybe we can get them to see this as a misunderstanding.” Darren said. Annie looked at him as if he was stupid.

 “Darren, these guys are secret military black ops with no official group to keep them on a leash. What makes you think they won’t pull some “we don’t exist” bullshit to justify keeping us here?”

 Darren sighed, but didn’t reply, knowing she was right on some account. They went quiet when the door opened up and the woman from earlier walked in.

 “I think we got off on the wrong foot here, kids.” She said kindly, probably to get them to lower their guard. “My name is Agent Cole Keller. There’s no need to be afraid, I just need to know how much you’ve learned and…”

 “Spare us the good cop routine, sister.” Annie said dryly. “We’re imprisoned in a military base god knows how many feet underground that’s supposed to be camouflaged, yet a five year old could find this place, and you expect us to remain calm? Lady, your buddy up there seems like the kind of guy who’d shoot us to keep this place secret, whether we’re kids or not.”

 An awkward silence followed after her tirade. Kevin cleared his throat and said, “What she said.”

 Cole stared hard at her. “You’re a wordy little brat, aren’t you?”

 “No more than you.” Annie shot back.

 Cole rubbed the bridge of her nose. These kids weren’t as naïve as she thought. They definitely guessed how Fredericks would act to this situation.  She sighed and told it to them straight.

 “Look, I can get you guys out of here safe and sound, but I need you to cooperate with me here.” She told them.

 “Or else what?” Annie challenged.

 “Annie!” Gina hissed.

 “Or else you’ll be locked up for the rest of your natural lives. Frederick Lancer is as paranoid as they come, and is more stubborn than a British boxer. Don’t say anything that’ll set him off and we can all forget this ever happened.” Cole walked to the door. “Now sit tight and let me handle this.”

 The agent left the cell and Darren whacked his sister on the back of her head. “Could you not try to act like some stupid dumbass in front of a military officer? Is that too much to ask for?” He hissed.

 Annie pushed him back and kicked the door. All she managed to go was give her foot a painful throb.

 “Like that’s going to work.” Gina sighed.

 “Well maybe if my brother got off his ass, then we could be out of this taco stand in a heartbeat.” Annie said snidely.

 Darren glared at her and gave a worried glance at Kevin. Sure, he could rip the door from its hinges with little problem, but he didn’t want Kevin learning about his powers. It wasn’t worth possibly losing a friend over something he could easily hide. Not to mention the army of armed soldiers that would be standing in their path.

 Gina patted his shoulder and sat on the bench. “Let’s just sit here and wait. I’m sure something will happen and we’ll be all out of here soon.”

XXXXXX

 Soundwave stood hidden in the trees as he watched a camouflaged military armored troop carrier drive through the forest and into a disguised hatch built into the side of a seemingly unassuming mountain. Laserbeak sat on his shoulder, awaiting his master’s command.

 This was definitely where the energy reading was coming from. It was faint and quite possibly deep underground. But this was of no consequence to him. The humans would never know he was coming until it was too late.

 “Laserbeak, infiltrate.” Soundwave said. Laserbeak nodded and flew off his shoulder, leaving Soundwave to transform into his alt mode, a mini-cassette recorder.

 Soundwave was of a unique but rare breed of cybertronians who could control their body’s transformation on a sub-atomic level, enabling them to grow larger or smaller. Most cybertronians could only scan and transform into alt modes the same size and mass as them, but Soundwave could transform from a 32 foot mech into a palm-sized cassette recorder.

 Laserbeak snatched Soundwave up in his claws and flew over to the base. He circled around, waiting another convoy to approach the hidden entrance. As the convoy passed under some trees, he dived in and dropped the transformed Soundwave into the back of the truck.

 He perched himself on a branch and watched the truck disappear into the mountain base with his master. If it were possible with his beak, he would’ve smiled. The humans had no idea they just let their death in through the front door.

XXXXXX

 Sean McCourie sat at his desk in the base’s computer room reading a comic book he managed to sneak in a few days ago. It was a bit boring being stationed here, and he had no one to blame but himself as he was the one to volunteer for the job.

 Working security duty for a bunch of tech heads fooling around with an experimental power source that could lead to another Three Mile Island disaster if they so much as poked it the wrong way was not a job that people were lining up to offer up their services.

 He heard the door slam open and the only reason he stayed in this depressing dump marched into the room. Cole Keller was his partner and the only person who actually acted like they had some common sense around here. He was a part of Skywatch longer than her and recruited her from the Osean Army’s Special Forces with the goal of defending the country, and by extension the world, from “outside” forces.

 “What did Freddy do this time?” Sean asked with a smirk.

 “Overreact like he always does. Some kids found our base and he just arrested them like they were spies or something.” Cole huffed in frustration and slumped down into the chair next to him. “I know that not putting up signs or cameras was a bad idea. The fact that a bunch of kids were the first ones to find one of the emergency exits just makes this debacle more embarrassing.”

 “So did you pay the brats a visit to calm them down?”

 “Didn’t need to. Those kids were stone cold, and one of them even mouthed off at me.” Cole said, sounding a bit impressed. Sean chuckled and she whacked him on the arm. “Those kids certainly knew how to stay calm.”

 “Almost too calm, Major.” General James Frankel walked into the room, looking freshly crisp as ever and radiating his ever present aura of superiority. Cole’s face hardened and she stood up to confront them.

 “You bastard! You can’t just snatch up kids like that! What if they’re parents start looking for them?” She hissed.

 “I’m doing what I have to for national security. Those children were a severe security risk for our operation.” Frankel replied.

 “They aren’t even a threat, you moron! You’re just making the situation worse! Don’t drag them into something that could be avoided!”

 Cole didn’t like Frankel, the man took his position in Skywatch way too seriously. And she definitely hated his methods of getting information and maintain the organization’s secrecy. Frankel knew that they worked outside the chain of command and used that to justify his morally grey actions. He’d do something and his first defense was preserving the nation’s security and defense against threats human or otherwise, whatever that meant. Cole was certain he’d shoot the kids if she wasn’t there looking over his shoulder.

 “You’d defend them blindly, but would you change your tune if you saw this?” He walked over to a computer and began typing on it. “Few people in our organization know of the threats we were tasked to defend this world from. Only high ranking Skywatch officials know the true reason this group was formed and you’re about to see what I mean.”

 Frankel brought up the security camera footage of the kids being brought in and changed the image to thermal. “Now look at their vehicles.”

 Cole and Sean warily did as they were told and to their surprise, they saw that the bike, moped and skateboard were emitting a strong heat signature not unlike those emitted by humans and most other living creatures.

 “What the hell?” Sean muttered.

 “You see, Skywatch has had past interactions with aliens, namely those of a different sort than movies and television would show.” He grinned mockingly and pointed at the screen. “Those aren’t normal vehicles-they are living beings disguised as human vehicles.”

 “That’s impossible.” Cole breathed.

 “Nothing’s impossible in this line of work, Keller.” Frankel said and stood straight. “Now those kids know about these creatures and I intend to find out just what they know. If you’ll excuse me.”

 Frankel walked out of the room with a barely noticeable cocky stride, greatly irritating Cole. She punched the computer and jumped up.

 “Whoa, where are you going?” Sean asked.

 “To stop that son of a bitch before he does something stupid.”

 Sean watched her go before following after her as well, partly because he wanted to keep her from killing the man, and mostly because he wanted a front row seat to the fireworks that were going to go off. This left the computer room empty-save for the tiny micro cassette that pushed the door open.

 The tiny blue device crawled along the floor on four thin spider-like legs as it skittered towards one of the computers. Stabbing its appendages into the side of the table, he climbed up onto the desk and over to the monitor, plugging into the jack and interfacing with the computer.

 Within seconds Soundwave’s mind was connected to the base’s systems. The first thing he did was download a map of the base and learn where the location of that energy signature was.

 Once that was done, he delved into Skywatch’s more prominent files, ones that were easily decrypted than the classified ones. This organization, Skywatch, seemed to be a government agency that operates off the books, so secret that even the president doesn’t know about them. What’s even more interesting was that these humans were fully prepped (in their minds) for alien incursions, most notably those of the mechanical nature.

 Something about the way the man reacted when he noticed the Minicons made Soundwave suspicious and he tried to penetrate the mainframe to access their files, but the firewalls protecting them would take too long to break. For now he would have to be satisfied with what he was able to obtain. Now it was time to get what he came for and eliminate any witnesses.

 “Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, eject. Search and destroy.”

XXXXXX

 The kids were not having a very good time. Nearly thirty minutes into their imprisonment and they were beyond bored and annoyed at how long it was taking. It didn’t help that Gina was making strange noises with her mouth.

 “What are you doing?” Kevin asked.

 “Well, since we’re in a cell, I thought it would be prudent to act the part of the prisoner with a harmonica. And since I don’t have a harmonica, I needed to improvise.” Gina said.

 Annie looked at her friend and shook her head. “God, you’re sad when you don’t have your toys, huh?”

 Their conversation was cut short when the door opened up and the man from earlier walked in, with Cole close behind.

 “Did you finally decide to grace us with your presence, king under the mountain?” Gina said snidely.

 “Make all the quips you want, girl. But we know about your friends’ secrets.” Frankel grinned. Darren narrowed his eyes.

 “What are you talking about?” Kevin asked.

 “Trying to play innocent, eh? Fine, let’s be blunt.” He lost his grin and glared at them. “You children have been in contact with NBEs; Non-Biological Extraterrestrials. I want to know how you came to be in possession of those aliens disguised as vehicles you brought in.”

 “What? Is this a joke?” Kevin said. “We don’t know about any aliens!”

 “You may not, but your friends might.” Frankel continued. Seeing the trio give no reaction, he decided to tip his hand. “I guess if you really don’t know, then you wouldn’t mind if we subject those rides of yours to some tests.”

 “Like hell we will, you raisin skinned freak!” Annie yelled. “You’re not laying a finger on them!”

 “Annie!” Gina hissed. Frankel smirked at Cole.

 “I told you so.” He turned back to the kids. “Tell us everything we know, and we’ll let you all go. There’s no point in trying to hide anything from us.”

 “We’ve got nothing to say.” Darren said as he stepped in front of the girls.

 “Either you tell me or we’ll force the truth out of you. Don’t think that just because you’re children I won’t use force.” Frankel threatened.

 “That’s enough, Frankel!” Cole shouted.

 “Maybe we should start with that motor mouth girl.” He sneered. “I’m you she’ll have lots to say.”

 Darren’s gaze went cold and he clenched his fists, ready to blast the ugly bastard away with a strong force blast and bash his head against the wall. But that never happened as the whole base shook from a distant explosion.

 “What the hell was that?” Cole questioned. A soldier ran into the cell, sweating and out of breath.

 “Sir, we’re under attack. Some giant robot cat is rampaging through the facility!”

 ‘Ravage.’ The name ran through Darren, Annie and Gina’s minds. Frankel’s eyes widened and he glared at them.

 “You,” He growled. “You three had something to do with this! I know it!”

 “Frankel, come on! We need to act now!” Cole hissed.

 Frankel cursed and pushed past Cole to leave the cell. “Block all exits and summon the Zygarts! Lockdown the base!” He glanced at the children. “And assign a security detail to watch over this cell. If they try to escape, shoot them!”

 Frederick was gone, and Cole gave the children a sympathetic glance before she ran after him. The door was slammed shut and they were alone again.

XXXXXX

 As their partners were taken to their cell, the Minicons were stashed within another holding cell, though this one was only for confiscated items. It was fortunate that the soldiers were unaware of their true natures, because when the alarms went off following the explosions, they wasted no time in switched to robot mode.

 “What’s that?” Sureshock asked.

 “Not sure, but it sounds like this place is under attack.” High Wire said.

 “Who cares what’s going on! We need to find the kids and haul ass!” Grindor exclaimed.

 Their discussion was interrupted when a squad of soldiers ran into the storage room and pointed their rifles at the Minicons.

 “Freeze!”

 High Wire’s eyes turned into slits and he looked at his time. “We don’t have time for this! We need to combine!”

 Grindor and Sureshock nodded and before the astonished soldiers’ eyes, the three Minicons changed forms and combined into a much taller thirteen foot tall gestalt-Centurion. He glared at the soldiers and slammed his fists together, shooting sparks from his metal hands.

“Move aside!” He shouted in his booming voice.

 The soldiers immediately opened fire on the gestalt. Centurion ignored the bullets hitting his armor and sprinted forward. His large form barreled into the soldiers without a care and rushed down the hallway. He didn’t care about causing casualties, he needed to find the kids before whatever was attacking brought the entire base down on them!

XXXXXX

 The kids could hear shouting outside their cell as another explosion rattled the base, this time sounding a lot closer. They had no idea what was going on, especially Kevin, who was starting to lose his patience.

 “Could someone please tell me what’s going on? What was all that stuff about aliens earlier?” He demanded.

 The others glanced at each other before Gina stepped forward with a serious expression. “Kevin, can you keep a secret?”

 “Yes, I guess so.” Kevin replied uncertainly.

 “Okay then.” Gina took a deep breath and began her tale. “A few months ago, we stumbled upon a race of alien robots from another planet who arrived on Terra about a year ago. They’re involved in a civil war between the Autobots and Decepticons. The nice guys protecting us are the Autobots, the evil guys are the Decepticons, and the rides we brought with us into the base? Those were Minicons, refugees trying to escape the war but got stuck on Terra 4 million years ago, until we woke them up two months ago.”

 “The bad robots attacking the base are Decepticons, and if we don’t get out of here right now, they’re going to kill us along with everyone else here.” Annie finished. “You get all that?”

 Kevin gave a shaky nod. “Y-yeah. Autobots good, Decepticons bad, get the hell out of dodge before we get killed. Got it.”

 “Good. Then I hope you can keep another secret, because Darren’s going to get us out of here.”

 Darren nervously glanced at Kevin before moving to the door. He placed his palms on the metal door and telekinetically grabbed the metal, roughly wrenching the screws out of place and violently flinging the door outward, letting it slam against the opposite wall. The guards posted outside were caught off guard and so they weren’t able to react when Darren split the door in half and hit them in the face with the metal strips, knocking them out with broken noses.

 Annie whistled as she surveyed the damage. “Nice to see you stepping up to the plate, bro.”

 “I’m so glad I’ve earned your approval.” Darren retorted. Kevin stared at him shocked.

 “You’re an esper?” He breathed. Darren nodded slowly.

 “Yeah, I am. I didn’t tell you because…well, you know.” He shrugged and fidgeted. “So…are you mad?”

 “Mad? Hell no! I’m actually relieved!” Kevin laughed. “Now I don’t have to hide either!”

 “Wait, what?” Darren blinked.

 Two more soldiers ran down the hall after hearing the commotion and saw the kids standing over the unconscious guards. They quickly pointed their rifles at the children. “Stop right there!”

 Darren moved to take them out, but Kevin pushed him aside and ran forward. Darren and the girls were shocked silent when they saw Kevin punch forward and release a stream of flames from his hand at the soldiers, forcing them back.

 Leaping through the flames, Kevin elbowed the first soldier in the throat before knocking him out with a nose breaking punch. His partner tried to grab him, but Darren shot a force blast into his chest and blasted him into a wall in the adjacent hall.

 “Nice work, guys.” Gina smiled. It was nice to know that her friends could kick ass like that whenever they wanted.

 “Let’s find the exit and get out of here.” Kevin said. His arms were coated in flames rising off his skin, and he didn’t even look uncomfortable. Kevin was an esper. Darren wanted to ask him about this, but he knew it had to wait until they were free.

 “But we still need to find the Minicons. They have no idea where we are.” Annie said.

 “They’ll find us. They know where we are, so we just need to stay put long enough for them to find us.” Darren said.

 A loud boom rattled the hallway and at the end of the hall they saw a man land hard on his neck and go still. His uniform was torn and bloodied from deep gashes in his chest that tore through his bulletproof vest. He was dead. Then a large, dark feline form prowled around the corner, glaring at the children with narrow crimson eyes.

 It was Ravage.

XXXXXX

 The entire base was on red alert as it was attacked from within. Frankel and Cole were making their way to the research center where their experimental weapons and technology were located. Why they were heading there away from the danger was a mystery to Cole, as she thought they should be fighting off whatever was attacking instead of leaving the security team to fend for themselves.

 “They’re soldiers, Keller!” Frankel growled as she voiced her misgivings. “They’re trained for this. They know how to take care of themselves. Right now, our top priority is securing our prototype!”

 Cole really hated this man. His holier than thou attitude because he was friendly with the director pissed her off, along with his willingness to toss his subordinates to the wolves.

 _“Major!”_ A voice shouted from the radio. “ _We’ve got a problem!”_

Frankel cursed and grabbed his radio. “What’s the situation, soldier?”

_“It’s those kids! They’ve escaped!”_

_“_ What? How the hell did that happen? I posed two armed guards there!” Frederick raged.

 “ _Two of them are espers, sir. They used their powers to break free and now they’re heading for the armory. What’s more is that their vehicles we put in containment also broke free-they’re robots sir, in disguise. They’re tearing the base apart!”_

“Find and capture those brats before they can cause more damage. I will not let civilians, let alone those freaks, get away with classified intel. Send the talos to restrain that metal monstrosity along with the other robots attacking us.” Frankel said. “Capture or kill for all enemies, soldier! Even the brats!”

_“Yes, sir!”_

Cole didn’t even bother trying to convince Frankel otherwise, knowing that his temper was at an all time high. She let him run off before calling Sean. “Sean, you there?”

_“Yeah, what’s up?”_

“Those kids managed to escape and now they’re loose in the base, along with the killer robots.” She told him. “You need to find them and get them out of here.”

 “ _”I can do that, but what about Frankie?”_

“The bastard sent out a capture or kill order on them. You need to find them first and get them to safety. Understand?”

_“You got it, Collette.”_

Cole smiled a bit at his use of her full name-something she hated-and ran the opposite direction Frederick went. She was certain he could handle things on his own; he was dedicated, if nothing else. She had other, better priorities to worry about.

XXXXXX

 The whole purpose of this base was for the development and testing of an experimental power source created based off of Arian technology scavenged up from local ruins and from allied countries like Yuktobania. It was a long and slow process, but one that proved to revolutionize clean energy and a potentially renewable power source for new and improved talos. The magic took place in the research center at the heart of the base. Anyone with clearance to get in needed to wear a protective suit as a pre-caution, since they were working with potentially dangerous elements.

 Frankel saw the mangled, bloodied bodies of the research team, men and women unlucky enough to be in the robot’s path, as he ran over them, his boots almost slipping on the puddles of spilt blood. Frederick pushed through the doors and ran into the main lab, where he slid to a stop upon seeing a giant robot in front of the reactor.

 It was Soundwave, standing tall and in his fully glory in his robot mode. For a moment, Frederick stared up at him in awe, unable to comprehend what he saw. There he was, a real, living relative of the alien codenamed “ice man”! So there were others like him! It took him a minute to realize that Soundwave was reached for the glowing metal sphere encased in protective bulletproof glass. Frankel shook his head and raised a rocket launcher he snatched up on the way here.

 “That reactor is Skywatch property, machine!” He shouted.

 He fired the rocket and watched it hit the side of Soundwave’s head. The spymaster leaned to the side a bit, but he was still standing. When the smoke cleared, Frankel saw that he was unharmed save for the black mark of scorched armor on the right side of his face. Soundwave looked down at Frederick and gave the order.

 “Frenzy, terminate.”

 Frankel was still shocked that the rocket did no damage and was unable to properly react when he heard something drop down behind him. He turned around just as Frenzy ran his drill arm through his chest. Frederick groaned in agony as the drill gored through his organs and smashed right through his spine. He coughed up blood and lost the feeling in his legs.

 Frenzy grinned at the dying man and pulled his arm back with a sickening squelch and let him fall to the ground. Paying no more attention to the human, he looked up at Soundwave.

 “That was fun.” Frenzy said. “So what now, boss?”

 Soundwave held the reactor in his hand. The reactor felt warm in his hand, and probably would be dangerous if he held it for too long. It was best to get this back to the Nemesis before the radiation started affecting him.

 “Now we retreat. Leave Ravage and Rumble to eliminate any witnesses.” Soundwave said.

XXXXXX

 Cole ran down the route that led to the mecha hangar, where the kids were sighted to be heading towards and hopefully in one piece. She wanted to believe that Sean had met up with them and were already getting out, but after the numerous reports of base personnel getting killed by the robots, she was starting to have doubts.

 She made it to the armory, which she had to go through to reach the hangar, and she saw the bodies of men and women lying on the floor and against the walls. People she fought besides and spoke with daily were either found mangled or brutally crushed beyond recognition. It was pitiful and enraging-these things were going to pay!

 The armory was a mess. Weapons, ammo, warheads and rockets were scattered about and destroyed, and there were more bodies of soldiers who were killed resupplying or trying to mount a defense. In the middle of the room was Sean, who was struggling in the grip of a blue and black robot with large pile driver arms. He was on the verge of being snapped in half!

 “Get away from him!” Cole snatched up an assault rifle and opened fire. Her aim was on point enough that she avoided hitting Sean, but the high velocity bullets did little to do any significant damage, though she caught him by surprise and made him drop the man. That and she succeeded in pissing him off.

 “What the…?” Rumble looked at Cole as if she insulted him. “Did you just shoot me?”

 “What do you think, tin man?” Cole growled. Rumble grinned and marched towards her.

 “Wrong move fleshy.”

 Rumble slammed his pile drivers into the floor and sent out a shockwave that rippled through the room. In such a small space, Cole and Sean got hit by the brunt of the wave and were blasted back into the wall. Cole, dazed from the attack, could feel her bones still vibrating from the impact as she looked up and saw Rumble reaching for her.

 “When I smashed the skulls of those other humans, they made a cracking sound, like a nut.” He sneered down at her, and reached for her head. “I wonder if yours would sound the same.”

 Just as he touched her head, a large form barreled into Rumble and sent him crashing into a wall. Cole looked up and saw a large robot with different colored, mismatched body parts that looked a lot like the vehicles the kids brought into the base with them.

 ‘Frederick was right!’ She thought, amazed. Centurion looked down at her with an impassive gaze.

 “Stay there.” He told her and leapt at Rumble.

 Cole crawled over to Sean, who was watching Centurion beat down Rumble like he was at a movie. Checking him over quickly, she was pleased to see that he had no broken bones and watched the battle with him.

 “I never thought I would be seeing this in my lifetime. Two robots engaged in a death match with each other.” Sean said mildly and glanced at Cole. “That big one is on our side, right?”

 “Possibly, but I doubt it’s happy to see us.”

 Centurion lifted Rumble and slammed him headfirst into the floor, knocking him out and burying his head in the floor panels. Letting Rumble’s body go, he turned to the two humans. When he walked toward them, Cole and Sean pointed their weapons at him.

 “That’s as far as you go, big guy. We don’t want any trouble.” Sean said.

 “Where are the children?” Centurion asked. Sean and Cole looked at each other confused.

 “Who wants to know?” Cole asked. Even though he saved their lives, she wasn’t going to hand those children over to a potentially murderous robot.

 Centurion growled and grabbed Cole, lifting her up to pin her against the wall. Sean fired his gun, but the bullets didn’t do anything but irritate the already pissed off gestalt. 

 “Those children are under my protection. You will tell me where they are or so help me, human or not, I will make you regret ever seeing me.” Goldfire hissed.

 Cole struggled in Centurion’s iron grasp, but she was unable to get free. Seeing she had no other choice, she nodded. “Okay. They’re probably in the hangar; you can find your way there with the directory on the walls. They were being chased by some giant cat robot, so they might be in trouble.”

 “Then you better hope that we reach them in time.” Centurion didn’t care about not harming humans. The children were his only concern, and his sole objective was making sure they were safe.

XXXXXX

 The hangar was a wide, open area where the armored transports, humvees and talos were stored. For quick deployment, there was an elevator hatch that led to the surface for immediate mobilization to the surface. It was the only other way aside from the main entrance to the surface.

 The kids were fast on their way to the hangar, managing to enter the chamber and spread out. Darren was the last one in, but he had to use his powers to jump faster to avoid Ravage’s jaws. He tripped and fell on his face as the jaguar mech glared at him.

 “You’ll die first, boy.” Ravage growled and ran at Darren. A large fireball hit him in the face and he stumbled onto his side from the attack.

 Kevin shot fireballs at Ravage repeatedly, trying to keep the mech down. Flames licked at Ravage’s armor, and he felt the burning pain as they seared his metal skin, but the pain only made him angrier. Growling, Ravage lunged at Kevin, only to get hit in the side from a force blast from Darren. Darren’s attacks packed more of a punch and together with Kevin, they combined their powers into a brutal assault that forced Ravage back.

 “Jinkies, they’re actually beating him!” Gina said. Darren had come a long way from a few months ago, when he barely used his powers. And Kevin seemed to already be a master at his powers, seemingly mixing his fighting moves with his pyrokinesis for better controlled attacks.

 “Yeah, but he’s not going down.” Annie pointed out. The boys were doing a good job in fighting off Ravage, but they’re going to tire out soon.

 She looked around the hangar and saw a few modified Murphy talos sitting across from them. Annie nudged Gina and nodded at the machine. The blonde genius hesitantly followed Annie over to the talos; she would totally be against this, but seeing as this was a life or death situation, she was willing to do anything to make sure Darren stayed safe.

 ‘What is this guy made of?’ Kevin thought as he fired a continuous stream of flames at Ravage. He and Darren were still pelting the Con with attacks but he just wouldn’t stay down.

 Ravage tried to lunge at Kevin, but another force blast from Darren hit him right in the face, knocking a tooth out. Stumbled a bit, he glared at Darren and yelled, “Enough!”

 Ravage fired one of the proton missiles on his hips at the boys, who jumped apart as it blew up an armored truck. Darren landed on the hood of a jeep, right on his shoulder and fell to the floor groaning. Ravage stalked towards him, red eyes gleaming like he was some kind of hellcat.

 “Don’t you dare!” Annie’s voice shouted.

 A black talos on tank treads rammed into Ravage and threw him into a truck. Darren watched puzzled as the talos fired his arm-mounted machine gun at Ravage, hitting his face with high velocity bullets that stung like bee stings. That was when he saw Gina hanging onto the side of the talos.

 “Gina?” Darren breathed. Then he made the connection. “Oh god, Annie?!”

 “This is so awesome!” Annie laughed in the Murphy’s cockpit. Gina banged her fist on the mecha’s head.

 “Stop screwing around and take him out!” She yelled.

 “Alright, alright, I’m doing it.” Annie said and pressed down on the left foot pedal to turn the unit. Piloting a standard, if a bit outdated, Murphy was easy enough if you knew how to operate it before hand (she watched enough specials on the Military Channel to know how to work an old school talos like the Murphy) and she was getting the hang of it. There were three foot pedals, one to move forward and reverse, and two on both sides to move left or right. The joysticks controlled the arms and weapons, which was an arm-mounted machine gun and a shoulder mounted cannon. Seeing Ravage stand back up, she pressed the trigger button on the left joystick.

 The cannon fired a powerful armor piercing shell that hit Ravage in the leg just as he lunged at them. it blew off his front foreleg, but his body still crashed into the Murphy. Gina screamed as the mecha fell back, jumping off as it crashed to the floor.

 “Children!” Centurion yelled out as he ran into the hangar. “I’m here to save…you?”

 He engines idled when he saw the children were all right, if a bit tired and sweaty. Ravage was missing a leg and lying on his side next to a burning truck, while Gina and Kevin were helping Annie out of a fallen talos. Darren, who was sitting on the hood of a jeep rubbing his aching shoulder, looked over at Centurion and gave him a weak wave.

 “Hey,” He smiled exhausted. “What took you so long?”

XXXXXX

 Soundwave walked out of the elevator hatch that he destroyed to get out. He had the reactor in one hand and Ravage in the other. Rumble and Frenzy were transformed and resting in his chest compartment.

 The mission was success, more than that even. This Skywatch group needed to be investigated further, and their knowledge of aliens in general may be something worth taking note of in Megatron’s campaign on this world. As primitive as they were, it wouldn’t do to have another wild card in this war game.

 All threats to Megatron dream of conquest must be identified and neutralized accordingly. That was his job, and he did his job well.

XXXXXX

 Late into the afternoon, Centurion carried the children up a hill overlooking the base. He set Darren and Kevin down by a tree and separated into the Street Action Team again.

 “So,” Darren said. “You’re an esper.”

 “Yeah. Sorry I hid it from you.” Kevin apologized. “It’s not exactly something I wanted to advertize to the whole town. The real reason I was out here was to practice with my powers in private and near some water if anything went wrong.”

 “That’s nuts. And here I thought I was the only esper in our school.” Darren smiled. “Does anyone else know about you?”

 “Only my mom and Penny.” Seeing Darren’s look, Kevin nodded. “Yeah, she knows too. Penny’s sort of like my sidekick/coach when it comes to my powers. She helps me practice and studies my progress.”

 “Huh. You learn new things every day.” Darren said. Kevin smiled and gave him a fist bump.

 “Thanks for the save, guys.” Gina said and hugged Sureshock. “It’s good to see that you’re all okay.”

 “Please, girl, we’re Centurion. It’ll take more than a bunch of humans to beat us.” Grindor laughed.

 “We’re just happy to see that you kids are alright.” High Wire said.

 “How did you guys know where to find us?” Annie asked.

 “That redhead with the temper pointed us in your direction.” Grindor said. “She was planning on getting you guys out but was waylaid by Rumble.”

 “Is she…?” Gina asked, but High Wire shook his head.

 “She’s fine, though the same can’t be said about the rest of the people down there.” He said. “Rumble and Frenzy were very thorough in the massacre.”

 “Serves them right. Threatening us like that, those people can burn.” Annie spat. Everyone looked at her surprised. “They got what they deserved.”

 “Annie, don’t say that.” Darren admonished.

 “Why not? Those bastards threatened us and the Minicons, who we’re supposed to keep a secret. Remember that little tidbit, bro? Did you forget that no one was supposed to know about the Autobots or the Decepticons?” Annie glared down at her twin and walked back into the forest. “What happened to them was nothing short of karma. They had it coming to them, and you better hope that they don’t come knocking on our door tomorrow.”

 She vanished into the forest and Grindor ran after her. Gina sighed and turned back to the destroyed base. No matter what the others thought, she hoped that Agent Keller got out of there safely. No one deserved to die like this.

XXXXXX

 “Dear god,” Cole whispered in horror as she looked over the overcrowded medical center. “This is everyone who made it out?”

 “Yeah. At least the ones that weren’t in their way.” Sean said solemnly.

 The medical center was full of the base personnel who survived the Decepticon massacre. Half made it our without injuries, but the remainder of the survivors, who were mainly soldiers, were either moderately or severely wounded. Broken bones were the light injuries in this case, and missing or crushed limbs were the most severe. All in all, they were beaten very badly.

 “We’ve lost half our personnel and Frankel, and the evil robots got what they wanted along with god knows what else. This is a disaster, and I can tell the director is going to have a fit about this.” Sean sighed. “Hey, did those kids get out okay?”

 “I’m sure they did. They weren’t found amongst the bodies and security footage showed them in the hangar fighting off that robo-cat.” Cole said. “And that thing that manhandled us would’ve made sure that they made it out alive.”

 “Can’t say we can know for sure, but it’s better than being stuck as prisoners down here.” Sean sighed. “Let’s hope that thing treated them better than we did.”

 Cole hummed in thought. She wasn’t going to tell her superiors about those children. They were not going to get caught up in this mess ever again, no matter how much they knew about these aliens. Still, it’d be best to keep an eye on them. If they were associated with that giant robot, then chances are they were going to get caught up in something way out of their league.

 ‘Thank god for facial recognition.’ Cole thought. ‘I never even got their names.’

 Cole wasn’t the kind of woman who believed in fate, but she knew that there was a possibility of running into them again. She just hoped it was on better terms.

 


	13. Argonautica

Chapter 12-Argonautica

 It was almost a week since the debacle with the government base and Soundwave’s unexpected assault on the complex. In that time, the kids introduced Kevin to the Autobots, garnering different reactions (you could guess what Prowl’s reaction was) though their immediate concern was this black ops organization that seemed to have an inkling into their kind’s presence on Terra. It was a pressing concern that there were more humans that knew of their kind on the planet, but with nothing to go on aside from a name and a few individuals who were probably dead, they couldn’t do much.

 As for the children, this latest incident had pretty much proved Arcee and Optimus’ worries about the children’s’ safety, and thus Sparkplug suggested they take self defense lessons from them. Annie was all set given that she learned how to defend herself from Julia, Gina’s mother, as has Kevin who learned how to fight from his uncle. Darren and Gina were another story altogether, and thus it led to the Minicons overseeing their training sessions.

 Dressed in workout clothes, Darren and Kevin got into their fighting stances as they faced off against D-Va, who had a laser staff in her possession as she smirked at the boys.

 “You two sure you want to do this?” She asked. “I may be an avid gamer, but I’m no slouch when it comes to fighting.”

 “We’re going to have to fight Leader-1’s team on some missions, so it’s better to prepare for it now than regret not doing it later.” Darren said. Two close calls with Leader-1 and Soundwave’s proxies was enough for him, thank you.

 “And since Tracer likes to hype up your skills, we figured you were the best person to help us.” Kevin said and lit two flames on his shoulders. “You ready?”

 “Always.” D-Va got into her stance.

 There was a few seconds pause as both parties waited to see who would make the first move…then Darren went first. Slashing his arms, he tore up strips of metal from the floor and sent them at D-Va, who charged through them and leapt forward, swinging her staff in a wide arc that forced Darren to jumped back to avoid a nasty bruise on his cheek.

 Kevin stepped in and shot some fireballs at her to get some distance between them before doing a sweeping kick that sent a wide arc of flames at her. Using her staff as a pole, she jumped over the flames and front flipped a few times to close the distance between her and the boys. Kevin shot more flames at her, but she got behind his guard and swept his legs from under him with her staff. Darren waved his arms and the metal panel under her feet was pulled out from under her, taking away her balance.

 He also pulled the staff from her hands, but she spun around him and grabbed his arm. Darren gave a very unmanly yelp as he was thrown over her shoulder and slammed into the floor. The pink Minicon smirked down at him and jumped back to avoid the fireball shot at her head. Kevin jumped up and spin kicked at her head, which she ducked under and rolled over to her staff, snatching it up. When he tried to attack her, she jabbed him in multiple places with a series of light but painful jabs before kicking him in the chest and pinning him to the floor, pointing the tip of her staff at Darren’s face when he tried to get up.

 “That’s game.” D-Va smiled. The boys groaned and felt to the floor, defeated.

 “This is getting really old now.” Darren sighed. “What’s the score now?”

 “I don’t know. I thought you were keeping check.” Kevin said.

 “It’s okay, I got this one.” D-Va said and looked over to the newest addition to the Minicon team. “Hey, Roadstorm!”

 On the sidelines, Roadstorm, the Minicon who came from the panel that OZ tried to steal, was lying on his side napping. When D-Va called out to him a few times (he was listening to some music downloaded (illegally) into his brain) he didn’t respond as he was in his own little world. He didn’t even notice D-Va until she kicked his arm out from her and let his head hit the floor, abruptly waking him up.

 Roadstorm was a steel grey Minicon with a small-even for a Minicon-stature and a very odd configuration; he had no hands, only the two wheels that formed his motorcycle alt mode, his legs were his alt mode’s exhaust pipes and his head was his alternate form’s headlight and handlebars. It made grabbing things really difficult for him, and the tiny but durable manipulators on his arms weren’t that useful despite Roll Bar’s assurances.

 “What the-oh, it’s you.” He groaned. “What do you want, girl? Can’t you let a brother sleep for one day?”

 “You were supposed to keep score of our matches, Roadstorm.” D-Va said sternly. He shrugged carelessly.

 “So? You were just going to win anyway. Doesn’t make a difference if I watch you kick their asses or not.”

 “Your confidence is invigorating.” Kevin rolled his eyes.

 D-Va sighed and rubbed her forehead. Roadstorm was a strange mech who was either off sleeping in a corner, or trying to find his way on the “road to life” as he called it. The other Minicons tried to get along with him, but his uncaring attitude rubbed some of them the wrong way, and gave him his space during the Exodus’ maiden flight. Even the kids found it hard to hold a conversation with the slothful mech. The only person who could tolerate the Harley was-

 “Yo!” Jazz walked into the room with his usual jovial attitude. “How’s it hangin’ my favorite little people?”

 “We’re not that little!” Darren yelled.

 Kevin couldn’t help but marvel at the way Darren interacted with the Autobots as if they were friends for longer than two and a half months. His short time with the cybertronians was an amazing experience. Talking and interacting with these larger than life aliens was something he never could’ve dreamed about, even after reading Penny’s sci-fi fanfiction (her dirty little secret), and the experience was not something he was going to forget for years. It just amazed him at how human they seemed to him, like they were giant robots towering over him but just regular people with likes and dislikes. Jazz he especially liked, as the Autobot’s taste in music was phenomenal.

 “What’s up, Jazz?” D-Va asked. “Something come up?”

  “Yup. We just found a clue to another Minicon panel.” Jazz said. “And I think it’s something you’re going to be interested in.”

XXXXXX

 Once everyone was in the command center, to their surprise, it was Gina who was giving the crucial info to the panel’s possible whereabouts. She was cycling through some pictures she found on the internet and transferred them onto Teletran’s monitor.

 “The Argo?” Darren blinked.  “You mean as in-“

 “The same Argo that served as the flagship of the Argonauts, led by Jason.” Gina nodded. “The story goes that it was built from the wood of a divine tree whose blessings were believed to protect the crew from evil.”

 “And guess what they thought was a part of the tree they made the ship from.” Annie grinned.

 Gina brought up an old Elladan painting of the Argo. Standing on the ship’s bow was Jason, stand regally in front of his men holding up a glowing object that looked familiar-a stasis panel.

 “Of course. Why the hell not?” Ironhide grumbled. “What the hell is a panel doing in a painting?”

 “The humans must have found the panel buried in a tree and thought that it was a gift from the gods.” Prowl deduced. “They weren’t that far from the truth.”

 “And it must have really galvanized them, because they were near unbeatable for nearly a decade before the ship finally sank on its return trip to Elladas.” Gina said.

 “So if we want to find this panel, then we have to find the Argo. Sounds almost easy enough.” Kevin said. Gina shook her head.

 “Except that no one knows where the Argo sank. It was last seen somewhere near the Elladan islands, around Ithica, but that’s all I can tell you.”

 “That’s good enough, Gina.” Optimus said and looked at his team. “Prowl, Jazz, you’re with me. We’re going to Ithica to find any clues about the location of the Argo.”

 “Or what’s left of it.” Jazz added.

 “Oooh! Can we come along?” Tracer chirped, dragging D-Va behind her. “We never get to see any action!”

 “That’s because this is a dangerous mission, not a vacation.” Prowl said. “You know, the word you never seem to know the definition of.”

 “Can I come along too?” Kevin asked. The others looked at him.

 “You sure about that, Kevin? This isn’t a field trip. These missions are rough enough just trying to find the panels.” Darren pointed out.

 “When we’re not having Cons trying to snuff us out.” Annie grunted.

 Even still, Kevin was adamant about coming along. “I know it’ll be dangerous, but I want to go. Just this once if possible.”

 “Well, if you’re going, then I’m going as well.” Gina said with a final tone. “There is no way you guys are discovering the long lost Argo without my supervision!”

 “Gina…” Sureshock wasn’t too crazy about the idea, but any concerns she had were cut off by Tracer, who threw an arm around her shoulder.

 “Don’t worry, Shockblast-“

 “Sureshock.”

 -We’ll take good care of the kiddies. Let us handle the heavy lifting for a bit while you rest those tired old legs of yours.”

 Sureshock gained a dark look in her eyes. “Excuse me?”

 “No offense, but you do kind of act like a cranky old femme when you get mad. I just thought you were a little…out of date. Those scratches near your optics aren’t for show you know, I hear that’s a sign of a femme who’s been around the block.” Tracer said lightheartedly.

 “Okay! Let’s get a move on before the trail get’s cold, shall we?” Jazz said loudly to break the growing tension.

 “That would be best.” Sureshock growled.

XXXXXX

 Ithica was a beautiful island that was a part of the Elladan nation, along with other settlements like Scylla, Delos and Lykos. Warm and sunny, the place was a tropical paradise, but the Autobots were not there to enjoy the sights (despite Roadstorm’s protests). Optimus, Prowl and Jazz split up to explore the city and interact with the locals to get some information. Tracer tagged along with Prowl while Kevin and Gina conducted their own investigation in the harbor.

 Roadstorm and D-Va were parked near the harbor keeping an eye on the children as they talked to a couple of sailors. Both Minicons had their holomatters engaged; a tall handsome young man who looked like a Greaser from an 80’s biker flick for Roadstorm and a cute Joseunese girl with fair skin and long brown hair for D-Va.

 “Would you stand still?” She growled at her partner, who kept fidgeting in his spot. “You’re setting me on edge.”

 “Don’t get snippy with me. I don’t like this place,” Roadstorm said with a frown. “The streets are so damn narrow and everything is cramped together. I can’t take it.”

 “It’s nothing to worry about, Roadstorm. Just calm down and enjoy the scenery. That’s always been your thing, right?” D-Va said, smiling as she saw a group of children run past her down the cobblestone street. This place reminded her of Harmonex, a place she visited one time with her…she shook her head of that memory. “Enjoy what a beautiful day it is.”

 “I’ll enjoy it when I’m on the open road.” He grumbled.

 Jazz had taken it upon himself to make Roadstorm his partner on the field. Of course, the Minicon wasn’t really happy about this, but he didn’t want to waste energy arguing with someone as stubborn as Jazz. It was an effort to get him to be more of a team player and associate more with the others, but in D-Va’s opinion, it was a lost cause. Roadstorm made no friends before and during the launch of the Exodus, and he wasn’t interested in making any now.

 The kids finished talking to the sailors and they walked back over to the Minicons. “So, any news?” D-Va asked.

 “There’s a cove a few miles from here, along the same route the Argo took thousands of years ago.” Gina said.

 “The cove is known for being a place where ships were wrecked and sank to the bottom of the water. If we’re looking for the wreckage of the Argo, it’s the place for us.” Kevin said.

 Roadstorm frowned. “Does that mean we’re going swimming?”

 “Looks like it.” D-Va smirked and got on her “bike”. “Let’s call up the Bots and get a move on. The day’s still young and we have all of Elladas to see.”

XXXXXX

 “Hurry it up, you fool! I don’t have all day.”

 Blackout glared up at Starscream from inside the hole he dug. Both he and Starscream were standing inside an old abandoned church somewhere in Engalia that was the current resting place of another stasis panel.

 “Don’t tell me what to do, you sniveling coward!” Blackout growled.

 “When you get a promotion, you can give the orders.” Starscream said. “Until that highly unlikely moment, shut up and get that panel!”

 Grid shook his head, his body giving another twitch that almost sent him falling into the hole. They had spent the better part of an hour looking for the panel because the thing was buried underneath the building, dampening the signal. It was dumb luck that they managed to find the thing with all the bickering the larger Cons were doing.

 Finally, Blackout uncovered the panel and picked it up, only to have it snatched out of his hand by Starscream.

 “Another job well done by yours truly. Oh how I wish that I could use this Minicon, but alas, Megatron seems fit to make me his delivery boy.” The Seeker scowled. “Give this thing to Lugnut. Once again he insults me by practically giving his ass kissers everything on a silver platter and making me do all the dirty work.”

 “Good lord, what do you want, man? Do you want Megatron to die or make you his second in command? Just make up your mind already!” Grid groaned, tired of listening to his partner’s constant whining. How the hell did this guy become the Seeker commander?

 “Shut up, Minicon!” Starscream yelled.

 Their argument was cut short when Barricade called them over the comm. “ _Starscream, this is Barricade. I’ve discovered a possible Minicon location the Autobots have been investigating.”_

“Perfect,” Starscream smirked. He flipped the panel in his hand as he gave his orders. “Send me the coordinates and I’ll be there with my team. Follow them, but don’t engage until we get there.”

 “You’re going ahead with the panel? But Megatron said to bring it to him right after we found it!” Blackout said as he climbed out of the hole. Starscream didn’t look the least bit concerned as he lifted Grid onto his shoulder.

 “I’ll just say that we’re having a bit of a delay in finding the panel. Besides, once we snatch it from the Autobots, my little white lie won’t matter to Megatron once I give him not one, but two panels.” Seeing the incredulous look on Blackout’s face, he rolled his eyes and said, “If you’re so concerned about it, then you’re welcome to come along and help me. The more firepower, the faster we get this done.”

 Starscream converted into jet mode and flew away. Blackout only grunted, thinking how bad an idea this was as he shifted to his helicopter mode and followed after Starscream.

XXXXXX

 The Autobots took a ground bridge to the exact location where the cove was said to be. There was a river trailing from the cozy little cave where it coalesced into a deep pool at the heart of the cove. Sunlight streamed in through the small opening at the top, shining down on the calm water in a scenic manner.

 Once there, Gina sent out her Sky Spy to pinpoint the location of any ships stuck at the bottom of the water. It only took about a minute for the drone to scan the area and locate the large Elladan ship sitting on the sea floor. It was wooden and was still in one piece despite being clearly old and worn from spending nearly two centuries underwater. There was a large hole in the bottom of the ship that most likely led to its burial at sea.

 “That’s our ship.” Jazz said.

 “How do we get it, though? None of you can explore something that small,” Kevin said. “And I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t do well underwater.”

 “We won’t need to swim at all.” Optimus said and told them of his plan.

 As they conversed, Starscream stood near the hole at the roof of the cave, staring down at them like he was above them all, which they were technically, but more in a metaphorical sense. Behind him stood Thundercracker, Skywarp and Blackout, who was not happy at what they were doing.

 “Once they get the ship to the surface, we move in closer and get into position.” Starscream told them. “Skywarp and Thundercracker will take them from the east behind those two rocks, while Blackout and I will engage them from their flank.”

 “This isn’t a good idea, Starscream.” Blackout warned. “We should at least tell Nightshade about-“

 He was cut off when Starscream whirled around and backhanded him. “You aren’t here to think, you’re here to shoot! You are with me, and if you disobey my orders, you’ll be meeting your fallen comrades in the Afterspark!”

 Blackout glared at him, wanting to cut the Seeker in two for his actions, but right now the “mission” came first. Seeing his submission, Starscream smirked and turned back to the Autobots. “Good. Now get into position.”

 Down below, the Autobots were working on finalizing Optimus’ plan-raising the ship from the water. Using Jazz’s grappling hook, Optimus tied it around a large, heavy boulder to make it an anchor. Tracer dived down to the ship and tied the hook end to the ship’s mast. Once they were done, the Autobots dived into the water and swam down to the ship to get into position.

 On Optimus’ signal, they all pushed, using their immense strength make the large ship move through the sand. On the beach, the kids and Minicons pulled the line in tandem. It took a few minutes since the ship was so massive, but they managed to get the vessel out of the water, and once the mast broke the surface, the anchor did its thing, acting as a counterweight to help pull the ship onto dry land.

 Kevin, Gina, D-Va and Tracer stepped back and watched the ship slowly rise to the surface. The ship was made of wood, hard and sturdy and still in pretty good shape despite the wood being worn from the salt water around it. To Gina’s eyes, it didn’t look any less magnificent.

 “Penny is going to be so jelly if she knew what I did with you guys on a weekly basis!” Gina gushed. “Jinkies, I love hanging out with you guys!”

 The Autobots resurfaced and swam back to shore, with Jazz holding four bronze poles that fell out of the ship during its ascension.

 “Look what I found.” Jazz dropped the poles on the sand for everyone to see.

 “Bronze? Hardly efficient building material for battleships.” D-Va noted. Gina knelt down to study them.

 “Bronze was all they had, and it would be centuries before iron and steel would be used on an industrial scale, let alone for building. These poles show that we’re on the right track, since bronze was the main material used for reinforcing battleships.” She said and sighed. “But I don’t think this is the Argo.”

 “What? But this is the place where it was supposed to be.” Jazz groaned. “And I got my gears wet for nothing.”

 “What makes you think this isn’t the ship, Gina?” Optimus asked.

 “The Argo is a flagship, so it should look bigger and stronger than the rest of the ships in its fleet, something you’d immediately recognize at first glance. Looking at this ship now, I don’t think it really fits the bill, don’t you?”

 Prowl looked at the ship and saw what she meant. “Yes, you do have a point. Ancient human warriors do have a thing for making their personal vessels rather extravagant and noticeable.”

 “I think this ship might just be one of the many battleships from the Argonaut fleet.” Gina hypothesized. “But we can still use anything we can learn from the ship to find the real location of the Argo.”

 Suddenly the peace of the cove was shattered when Thundercracker and Skywarp appeared behind the Autobots in a flash of light. Optimus bent down to cover the kids and Minicons just as the Cons opened fire on them. With laser bolts pelting his armor, Prime ran over to the ship and placed them down by the hole in the lower deck.

 “Stay inside the ship.” He ordered. Kevin gasped when he saw Skywarp appear behind Optimus.

 “Behind you!”

 Optimus spun around and punched Skywarp in the chest and sent him flying into the rocky cave wall. He took out his ion rifle and began shooting at Thundercracker, making him back off. A red null beam was fired from above and blasted Prime’s weapon from his hand, as well as making his hand slightly numb. Optimus looked up and saw Starscream and Blackout descending from the hole.

 “Optimus Prime, Megatron’s little failure. It seems that we came just in time.” Starscream taunted, pointing his null ray at Prime. “Hand over the Minicon you’ve uncovered and I’ll make sure to make your deaths quick and painless, though I can’t promise I’ll succeed.”

 “Your mission is in vain, Starscream. There is no panel here.” Optimus told him. Starscream growled and shoved his null ray in Prime’s direction.

 “Don’t lie to me! I know there’s a Minicon here, why else would you be in this soggy dump?” He said. “Tell me where it is now or I’ll make you suffer a slow and painful deactivation!”

 “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Optimus said. “Jazz, now!”

 Jazz powerlinked with Roadstorm and raised his arm, which converted into a three-barreled cannon with a circular shield around his forearm. He fired three azure blue blasts from his cannon and hit the Seeker’s outstretched arm. Starscream hissed in pain and looked at his arm, horrified to see that the places where he was hit were rapidly freezing over, like he dipped his hand in liquid nitrogen.

 “What is this?!” Starscream yelped. The cold bit at his armor and stung so bad it felt like fire. The frost reached Grid, who immediately disengaged and fell to the ground to avoid serious damage. Prowl rushed in and punched Starscream in the jaw, knocking him down and making him drop the panel he held.

 “No!” Blackout ran to get the panel, only to feel a burning pain in his leg. He looked down to see Prime’s battle axe buried in his leg near his knee. Optimus yanked the axe free and punched Blackout before he could react.

 Thundercracker and Skywarp were fighting Jazz and Prowl, but they were kept at bay by the cryo-blasts that Jazz fired.  Skywarp teleported behind them and shot Prowl in the back, but Jazz quickly spun around and fired a few blasts into his arm, freezing the limb right up to his shoulder.

 “Agh!” Skywarp grunted, wincing at the terribly freezing pain in his arm. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Jazz leapt forward and kicked that same arm, shattering it like glass. “Come on!”

 “You should’ve quit ahead of time, bro.” Jazz grinned. He loved powerlinking with Minicons-they gave him all sorts of cool toys to play with.

 Blackout tried desperately to get the panel from Optimus, swinging his fast spinning rotor blades to cut down his enemy. Optimus swung his axe and severed the rotors from his arm, but a sonic blast from Blackout’s concussion blaster blew him back into the one armed Skywarp. This allowed Prowl to rush in and lift Skywarp over his head to throw him into Thundercracker. The blue Seeker rolled to the side, but Prowl threw three throwing stars that stuck to his chest plate and exploded in his face. 

 “ENOUGH!” Everyone stopped fighting and turned to Starscream, who had his arm cannons trained on the ship, right where the kids and Minicons were hiding. The Seeker commander looked positively livid and was in no mood to play games anymore. “I’ve had enough of this time-wasting farce! Relinquish the Minicons in your possession or I blow your friends to kingdom come!”

 Optimus got to his feet and held his hands up. “Easy, Starscream. You won’t shoot them.”

 “You think that I won’t do it, but I will.” Starscream smirked. “There’s a reason I’m one of the mightiest Decepticons in the galaxy. It’s because I don’t make friends with my subordinates, like you do. They’re here to follow orders and to be expendable if need me. I don’t need the added baggage.”

 “You have no friends, Starscream, because you’re not worth the trouble. You see everyone, even your Seeker brothers and sisters as cannon fodder, and for that you will end up alone for the rest of your life.” Optimus said coldly. “While this superior attitude may release you of liabilities, it also means that no one will truly help you when you find yourself at your enemy’s mercy. Like right now.”

 A giant fireball was fired from the top deck of the ship, hitting Starscream in the back of the head. Starscream fell to his knees, scratching at his burning head and shoulders as Kevin, who had snuck up onto the deck unseen, bathed him in red hot flames that was enough to melt steel. Optimus ran forward and grabbed Starscream, holding the glowing blade of his axe under his neck.

 “Leave,” He commanded the other Cons. “Now.”

 “As much as I want to leave that bastard, I can’t without getting slagged by my superiors.” Blackout said.

 “I will release him on the condition that you all retreat and leave us alone. You have lost this battle, a fight you didn’t need to wage in the first place.” Optimus said. “There’s no point in fighting anymore.”

 “Don’t listen to him.” Skywarp said. “We can still take them.”

 “Shut it, you cog sucker!” Blackout snarled, punching Skywarp away. “It’s because of him that we’re in this situation!” blackout turned back to Optimus and said, “We have a deal.”

 Optimus threw the severely burned Starscream at Blackout’s feet. He was screaming obscenities in both Terran and cybertronian, mainly about Blackout being a traitor, even as Skywarp teleported them out of the cove. Optimus looked at the panel they snatched from Starscream. The Seeker was definitely going to get hell from Megatron for this.

 “Is everyone alright?” Jazz asked. Gina, Tracer, and D-Va walked up onto the deck over to a panting Kevin.

 “We’re fine, thanks for Kevin here.” Gina said, patting him on the back.”Nice move there.”

 “Thanks, but don’t expect me to put up a lightshow like that again today.” Kevin grinned.

 “Hey, guys! Look what we found!” Tracer chirped. She held up an old book that was only slightly damp despite being inside a submerged ship for the better part of a century. “It’s a logbook. D-Va found it in a chest under the deck.

 “You were right about this not being the Argo, Gina.” D-Va said. “This ship was captained by Atalanta, one of the Argonauts. This book has lots of clues as to where the Argo sank after it was separated from the fleet.”

 “Well done, all of you.” Optimus praised. “We’re one step closer to our goal.”

 They didn’t get the panel they were looking for, but they were making a lot of progress as it is. If only the same could be said for the Decepticons.

XXXXXX

 Nightshade was standing on the bridge of the Nemesis overseeing the crew as the ship flew over central Emmeria during its daily rounds. Blackout and Starscream entered the bridge, looking as bad as they felt.

 “So I heard from Thundercracker and Skywarp that you had a Minicon in your position but failed to deliver it back to base as ordered.” She said, not looking at them. “Is this true?”

 Seeing that Starscream wasn’t going to answer, Blackout did so in his place. “Yes, sir. Starscream thought he could score two Minicons at once after we took on Prime’s team.”

 “I see. Despite how things turned out, you did well in exercising caution, Blackout. That’s needed when fighting a war.” nightshade said. Blackout bowed his head to her.

 “Thank you, sir. I was just doing my duty as a warrior for lord Megatron.” He said honestly.

 “And you have certainly done just that, make no mistake.” Megatron walked onto the bridge, red eyes trained on the nervous looking Starscream. “As for you, Starscream, we are going to have a nice long talk about your actions today.”

 Starscream looked up at Megatron, who was on the verge of exploding into a violent rage. It was moments like this where he preferred being beaten by Optimus. At least he was quick about winning a battle and it wasn’t as humiliating.

 


	14. A Beautiful Lie

Chapter 13-A Beautiful Lie

 The rice fields in the Xing countryside were set aflame by explosions that blossomed across the bountiful water logged fields. Laser bolts and bullets flew through the air at their respective targets as the Autobots and Decepticons shot at each other in total warfare. Lugnut and Barricade were on the ground trying to fight off the Autobots, a team consisting of Optimus, Ironhide, Bulkhead and Prowl. Nightshade was perched on a cliff on one of the valley walls laying down cover fire for her fellow Cons.

 “This isn’t getting us anywhere.” She muttered. The Autobots had another stasis panel in their possession and she was trying to lead her force into trying to get it back before the enemy had a chance to retreat, but so far nothing was going their way. “Where the hell are you, Starscream?”

 The tell tale crackle of a sonic boom echoed in the valley as the three Seekers flew in from above firing their auto-cannons at the Autobots. Skywarp and Thundercracker took point and dropped cluster bombs on the Autobots to scatter them and peppered the ground with fiery plumes of flames that darkened the air and actually made the ground rumble.

 Nightshade noticed that pieces of the canyon walls were starting to fall onto the combatants below and called up Starscream. “Starscream, don’t use too much firepower or you’ll cause a landslide!”

 “Don’t tell us how to do our job!” Starscream shouted back and continued his assault on the Autobots. He grunted when a laser blast grazed his wing, courtesy of Bulkhead. “You two deal with the brutes.”

 “Got it.” Skywarp said and teleported himself and Thundercracker above Bulkhead and Ironhide, firing everything they had at them.

 “Now, where is Prime? Ah, there he is.” Starscream spotted Optimus fighting Lugnut, fighting the bruiser off with his battle blade. He made a b-line towards their position and prepped his cruise missiles to fire at the Prime’s unprotected back. Unfortunately, he didn’t see Prowl come out of cover and fire two missiles at his underside, one of them hitting his wing and sending him off balance.

 “No!” Starscream hollered as his missiles were fired off target. One hit the ground near Optimus and the other slammed into Lugnut’s chest, blasting him off his feet.

 Nightshade saw the fumble and cursed, knowing that things were not going to go their way at this rate. “Starscream, fall back!”

 “Never! I still have the advantage!” He bellowed and went into robot mode, powerlinking with Grid. His arm converted into his null ray and pointed it at Prime, firing his weapon at full blast.

 Nightshade was already racing towards him in her beast mode, but she was too late to stop the Seeker from attacking. As she had expected from Prime, Optimus was able to dodge the beam and fire his ion rifle at the Seeker. With his own superior eyesight, Prime had no trouble hitting Starscream’s leg, almost taking it off and disrupting his balance.

 Starscream hit the ground and rolled through the mud and water, rolling to a stop. He winced at the pain in his leg and pushed himself up as a large shadow fell over him. He looked up to see Optimus glaring down at him, and his face lost even more color than he naturally had.

 “N-no, don’t! Spare me!” Starscream stammered, losing all of his earlier bravado.

 “You’ve already been given a chance, Starscream.” Optimus said and leveled his ion rifle at his head. Before he could pull the trigger, he was forced to jump away to avoid the rain of micro-missiles fired at him from above.

 Nightshade landed beside Starscream in her raven mode and glared at Starscream with her thin red bird eyes. The flames from the burning fields made her black armor glint dangerously, making her look even more menacing. Starscream held back any witty quips, knowing she was seconds away from stabbing his eyes out with her beak.

 “All units pull back.” Nightshade said to her team. “We’re retreating.”

XXXXXX

 Upon the Nemesis, the Decepticons were licking their wounds, recovering in CR chambers in the medibay, while Nightshade and Starscream were on the bridge reporting their failure to Megatron.

 “What the hell were you thinking? We had the Autobots on the ropes-they were running!” Starscream hissed. Nightshade pushed him back with a sneer.

 “Don’t pin this on me. You and your lackeys almost blew the rest of the team up in that valley. Not to mention that screw up of yours almost put Lugnut in critical condition!”

 “My target was Prime!”

 “You never take Prime on alone unless you’re Megatron, and you’re definitely not Megatron!” She replied and laughed humorlessly. “I ordered you to stay back, and what do you do? The fragging opposite!”

 “For your information, I was doing my job. Which was much more than what you were doing in that battle!” He said angrily.

 “You think you’re such tough slag, Starscream, but it only took Prime five kliks to drop you out of the sky and on your knees begging for your life.” Nightshade spat. “Just because you’re a Seeker doesn’t mean that you’re all that. In the battlefield, the Autobots don’t care about your noble status, they just want you dead. So shape up or you’ll have more than your ego to worry about.”

 “Is that a threat, Nightshade?” Starscream growled.

 “No, it’s a promise.” Nightshade sneered.

 “Silence, both of you!” Megatron commanded.

 The warlord’s anger made both Cons clam up and stand at attention. Megatron glared at them both before turning back to the window. The ship was currently passing through some clouds, and sunlight cut through them and into the command center. The calm, sunny day outside did nothing to quell the growing annoyance he was feeling at the situation right now. Soundwave stood on the side, watching silently.

 “For the past month, the Autobots have been steadily growing stronger. Though they rarely use more than a few Minicons at a time, the fact remains that they have so many at their disposal, and according to our sources, they are currently on the trail of another.” Megatron said and faced his two subordinates. “Our performance is nothing short of disappointing, and fighting amongst ourselves will only make things worse.”

 “Then try to keep Starscream on a shorter leash so he won’t embarrass us again.” Nightshade grumbled.

 Megatron glared at her before getting to the real reason he called them there. “Soundwave just detected a stasis panel on one of the Elladan islands. The humans call this island Lemnos. The signal has been showing up at irregular intervals, which is not normal for a stasis panel. The three of us are going to go to that island and retrieve that panel.”

 “T-the three of us, sire?” Starscream blinked.

 “I didn’t stutter, Starscream.” Megatron grunted. “Take some time in the medibay and report to the shuttle bay at once. That is all.”

 Nightshade and Starscream glared at each other and left the bridge. Both of them knew this mission was going to be the death of them.

XXXXXX

 The island of Lemnos was a land that was the source of legends. To the humans, it was the home of a matriarchal society women who killed their fathers, brothers, uncles, husbands and sons. Nightshade heard this little tidbit from Knockout in passing, and wondered if all human mythological stories were as bloody as this.

 They exited the ground bridge on the island’s southernmost beach. Starscream sniffed and kicked away a crab pinching at his foot and looked around the beach. “This place doesn’t look too bad. I could do without the crabs though.”

 Megatron shouldered past him and looked at the jungle before them. “We aren’t here to look at the scenery you fool. We have a job to do.” He said and looked down at Leader-1, who was staring down at his scanner. “Where is the panel?”

 “Hard to say. I’m getting a signal from the jungle, but I can’t tell how far it is from us. This thing’s been acting crazy since we got here.” Leader-1 said.

 Megatron frowned and looked at the jungle. The region looked plain and unassuming, but so did Nyx, and that place had dragons breeding on every corner of the continent. It would be a waste of time to search the island from top to bottom, so there was only one logical way to go about this.

 “We’ll split up. Starscream, search the caves or any underground passages that may be hampering the panel’s signal. Nightshade, search the mountains. I will remain and ground level and search the surface.”

 “W-why do I have to search the caves? I’m a Seeker, not some mining drone!” Starscream exclaimed.

 “You will do as you are told because I said so. If you do not cease your whining, I’ll bury you alive! Now shut up and get moving!” Megatron yelled.

 Starscream gulped and nodded, running into the jungle and disappearing in the trees. Megatron went to leave the beach, but stopped to look at Nightshade, who was staring at the mountains with an unreadable expression.

 “What’s wrong?” He asked.

 “Nothing. I was just making sure we were alone.” She said. Megatron nodded and continued into the jungle while Nightshade turned to her little companion. “Be on your guard. Something’s not right here.”

 “Yes, ma’am.” Songbird said and linked up with her mistress. Converting into an arm-mounted railgun, Songbird remained on high alert.

 Nightshade took a deep breath and walked forward, knowing that this was going to be a long day.

XXXXXX

 In the middle of a dark chamber, three sisters stood in a circle, a floating crystal ball floating between them. They sensed the arrival of three intruders, three strange beings who were not of this world, and immediately convened to discuss what they should do.

  _“Do you feel it, sister?”_ Asked the younger sister.

_“Yes, Israfel. We have visitors.”_ Said the oldest sister.

_“Odd ones at that, much different from the humans who came here all those centuries ago.”_ The middle sister said. “ _They…are like that those metal toys the mortals play with, but much smaller, and somehow…alive.”_

_“That is impossible! We are the only ones blessed by the Oracle with the gift of life! These things are nothing but metal dolls controlled by the humans or whatever lies beyond this star system.”_ Israfel spat. “ _To think of them as anything else would be blasphemy in the eyes of Her Grace, Nuriel!”_

_“Calm yourself, Israfel. Do you not feel their souls? They are alive, like us, with souls like the jewels that beat within our forms. How…interesting.”_ The oldest sister, Gabriel, waved her hand over the orb and focused on the red one, Starscream. “ _Let’s see what makes them tick. If they are anything like us, then this will give them some credence over the disappearance of Michael, Uriel and Raphael in Emmeria.”_

Israfel wasn’t happy about the idea, but the word of her older sister was law. _“Very well, we shall look into their hearts.”_

_“And see into their memories.”_ Nuriel said.

_“And bring them to their knees.”_ Hummed Gabriel.

 Then all three sisters chanted as one. “ _For the grace and glory of our goddess Jubileus.”_

XXXXXX

 By sheer luck, Starscream found the entrance to a large cave that went underground for what seemed like miles. Grumbling to himself, he hovered into the cave on his boosters, descending into the darkness and switching his lights on. The cave opened up into a massive cavern that probably extended throughout the entire island and maybe even under the shallow beach.

 He hated every minute of this exploration. He hated being in places where his powers of flight were useless. It wasn’t uncommon for a flyer like him to be unnerved by the dark, dank caverns of the earth, to feel restrained because the world tried to leash him to the ground with gravity. Thundercracker and Sandstorm, the bipolar bastard he was, were the same in that regard. He was a Seeker, a king of the skies with skills rivaled by no one, not even that glitch Nightshade.

 ‘No one save HER.’ Starscream thought bitterly. ‘She was always better than me. No matter what I do, she was always looming over my shoulder like some god forsaken shadow. Even in death, people still compare me to her.’

 Starscream blinked and shook his head. Why was he thinking of her now, of all times? His sister was dead and buried, gone forever in the Allspark along with her madness and filth that threatened to drag the Seekers to ruin. He had no regrets about killing her!

 “Boss?”

 “What is it, Grid?” Starscream asked rudely. Grid looked up at him strangely.

 “What’s with you? You’ve been staring at nothing for a few kliks there.” He said. Starscream took a deep breath and continued walking.

 “It’s nothing you need to be concerned about. I was just lost in my thoughts.” He replied annoyed. “Let’s move on.”

 They went deeper into the cave, and the sounds of the outside world slowly faded into barely audible background noise. The only sound they heard was the metallic scrapping of their feet on the sharp rocks. Eventually they came upon a jagged opening in the cave ceiling that had water falling down from a stream up top. It was a pretty sight, but nothing that helped Starscream get closer to his objective.

_“Starscream.”_

He froze in place, eyes wide as he heard a voice he spent so long trying to block from his mind.

 “W-who’s there?” He stammered. He didn’t hear Grid calling out to him as he stumbled forward, looking around frantically.

_“Starscream.”_

“Stop playing games and show yourself!” He shouted.

 That voice…that accursed voice was something he never wanted to hear again. It was the voice of a femme who made his life hell every single day since he matured from a protoform.

XXXXXX

_The city of Vos was a place where those who ruled the sky ruled the people. It was home to Cybertron’s Aerospace Defense Force, composed of the Seeker brotherhood that dominated the state. The city was composed of towering spires and bridges connecting said buildings like a web that crisscrossed the landscape in a clutter that rivaled Iacon._

_In the main citadel that acted as both the senator’s residence and the Seeker headquarters, Starscream stood inside the atrium staring at the jagged skyline of Vos, the city he called home. It was dusk and there were many flyers zooming about in the orange sky, weaving through the buildings with such ease that it looked like they were swimming._

_‘This is the life. Living above the ground-bound lower castes and doing practically nothing with my life.’ Starscream thought. He frowned as he realized that little tidbit. His life was boring as hell. Though with how things were heating up in Tarn, he knew things were going to get fun really fast._

_“Screamer!” A jovial voice exclaimed._

_Starscream groaned. “Oh Primus no.”_

_A tall (even for a Seeker) femme entered the chamber-she was mostly green and red with a silver face plate and red visor. She jogged over to Starscream and threw an arm around his shoulders._

_“How’s my favorite little buddy doing?” Skyfire laughed._

_“Fine, Skyfire, just fine.” Starscream said in a sickly sweet voice. ‘If it isn’t dealing with Sunstorm’s religious ramblings, it’s being Skyfire’s drinking buddy.’_

_“So, what’re ya doing up here all by your lonesome? Not pretending you’re Sentinel Prime I hope!” Skyfire cackled._

_“Nothing of the sort, Skyfire.” He wasn’t that ambitious. With everything that’s been going on lately, he did not envy Sentinel’s job. “Now what brings you here? I thought you were out on patrol.”_

_“Decided to come back early. I have a planned date tonight.” Skyfire’s voice was practically grinning._

_“It’s Slipstream.”_

_“It’s Slipstre-wait, how did you know?”_

_“She won’t shut up about it. What else?”_

_Skyfire was going to make a witty remark when the door slid open and their commander walked in-Deadscream. She was a slender gunmetal grey femme with deep red eyes that bore into their very Sparks, just as soulless and dark as Deadscream herself. She was the acting air commander of the Seeker armada of Vos, and Starscream’s biological sister. Though one wouldn’t think that if they saw how she treated him. Starscream and Skyfire jumped apart and stood straight as she approached them slowly, like some predator on the prowl._

_“G-good evening, sister. How was your day?” Starscream asked._

_Deadscream looked down at him, both figuratively and literally since she was a head taller than him and only a few inches than Skyfire. After staring at him tensely for a few seconds, she looked at Skyfire._

_“Skyfire, could you give us some privacy please?” Deadscream asked, though it was definitely not a request._

_“Sure thing, boss.” Skyfire said and quickly made her way to the door. Whenever Deadscream was alone with Starscream, it usually led to Starscream getting dented._

_When Skyfire was gone, Deadscream didn’t even wait a second before backhanding her brother in the face, knocking him against the window. She glared at him in a rare show of anger._

_“What do the hell were you thinking, you fool?” Deadscream snarled._

_“What do you mean? W-what did I do?” Starscream stammered, though he knew exactly what she was talking about._

_“Don’t play games with me! You were making deals with the Decepticons, weren’t you?”_

_“How dare you accuse me of aiding those marauding band of barbarians!” He coughed. “I would never do such a thing.”_

_Deadscream held up a holo-disk and showed him a recording of him, Skywarp and Thundercracker talking to Megatron and Nightshade in the medibay of a gladiator pit. It showed the three Seekers bowing and owing their allegiance to Megatron’s cause-and a place at the table in Megatron’s revolution._

_“Minicons are very useful in ways that don’t involve flashy power-ups.” Deadscream said dryly._

_“I-I was simply securing a place for the Seekers in the new world to come, dear sister. The Decepticon revolt has gained speed since the Great Fire and it’s only a matter of time before war between the Senate and Decepticons breaks out. As one of the most powerful groups on the planet, we all deserve a seat at the table, don’t we?” He grinned nervously._

_“YOU IDIOT!” Deadscream roared, her crimson eyes flashing with barely restrained madness. “Did you forget our creed? A Seeker is only loyal to himself! We are loyal only to our brothers and sisters of the sky, and no faction will control us! What you did could bring both the Senate and the Functionists along with that damn fool Sentinel down on us! You placed our autonomy in jeopardy. And for what? To move yourself up in the world and sate your inferiority complex!”_

_“I was just-agh! Starscream was cut off by a solid punch to the chest that brought him to his knees. Deadscream kicked him onto his back and stomped her foot on his chest._

_“Just what? Speak up you whimpering fool! Show me that arrogance you always parade behind my back when you think I’m not looking!” She growled. When he remained silent, she huffed and took her foot off him. “Just what I thought. You’re only brave and tough when I’m not around to show people what true leadership is. Cease your dealings with the Decepticons or so help me I will rip out your voice box so you’ll never embarrass the Seekers again. Do you understand?”_

_“Yes, sister.” Starscream muttered._

_Deadscream sneered at her brother before marching out of the room. When she left, Starscream got to his knees and looked at her hands. They were trembling._

_He was sick of this. He was sick of being treated like trash. His sister may think that she could act like nothing was happening on Cybertron, like no one would dare attack them, but she was wrong. There was a war coming, and he planned to be on the winning side with the Seekers-and without Deadscream._

XXXXXX

 Starscream gritted his teeth at the memory. Deadscream was as stone cold as they come and she always lorded her position over him. It didn’t help that she was a certified point one percenter, just one more thing to hold over him.

 He shook his head-now was not the time to be thinking of the past. She was dead, he was alive, and in command of the mightiest force in the Decepticon army. That’s the end of it.

 “That’s what you think.”

 A bolt of energy hit the ground in front of him, and Starscream leapt back, powerlinking with Grid to summon his null ray.

 “Who’s there?” Starscream yelled. “Show yourself or face my wrath!”

 “Oh, Starscream, we both know that you’re nowhere near as fearsome as you think you are.” A feminine voice laughed. “All you are…is hot air.”

 A figure stepped into the dim light and Starscream’s enraged expression melted into one of disbelief and fear.

 “No…that can’t be.” He breathed. “Deadscream?”

 His sister gave him a devilish smile, teeth and all, as she advanced upon Starscream.

 “Hello, brother.”

XXXXXX

 Nightshade flew up to the mountain near the center of the island, focusing on a small cliff that caught her eye. The mountain was hundreds of meters tall and rose from the earth like the tip of a spear, and the red dust running down the sides made it look like blood. It reminded Nightshade of the towering spires that dominated the landscape of the Badlands back on Cybertron. The spires were extremely tall, twisted pieces of warped metal jutting up from the ground that fit all too well with the grim motif of the region-where the downtrodden and forgotten bots of the lower castes resided.

 She landed on a cliff and transformed to robot mode, her keen eyes scanning the cave entrance before walking in. Nightshade paused and glanced back at the sprawling sight behind her, the cliff giving her a perfect view of the island. As much as she hated being stuck on this planet, she had to admit that this world had some amazing natural scenery. It was a shame that much of this world’s natural wonders were being destroyed by the humans.

 ‘Though, it’s not like we weren’t treating our planet any different.’ Nightshade thought, thinking back to how the war had drained Cybertron of its resources and cataclysm after cataclysm rendered it uninhabitable. None of Cybertron’s wonders survived the war, not even the beloved Helix Gardens, which she came to love after spending just a few minutes in. ‘But it wasn’t our fault. The war wouldn’t have even begun if those bastards in the Senate didn’t try so hard to control us.’

 Nightshade’s expression fell as she remembered a time when she was not the Decepticons’ second in command or the leader of a revolutionary group-back when she was simply Nightshade, the scavenger with wings as black as the darkest night.

XXXXXX

_The Badlands of Cybertron were among the harshest territories on the planet, next to the Sea of Rust. The ground was black as the bots who lived there, and the landscape was marred by towering spires of twisted metal that reached to the sky and even lined the tops of canyons, like giant mouths lined with sharp teeth. It was believed by historians that the Badlands were the site of some battles from ages past and one particular disaster turned the entire region into one black scar on the planet. However, that theory had yet to be proven with the lack of credible evidence._

_Nightshade flew over the blackened land in her beast mode with two energon cubes clutched in her claws, her red eyes scanning the skies and ground for any stragglers who might be following her. You could never be too paranoid when it came to the Senate._

_She flew over to a small mountain range and saw the edge of Kaon ahead. Diving low, she flew in close to the ground as she approached the factory district on the edge of the city. As soon as she reached the old dusty streets, she changed to bipedal mode and landed on solid ground holding the two cubes in her hands._

_Nightshade made her way to the hold house at the end of the street, which looked like it had gotten hit by one too many acid rainstorms. She looked around one last time before ducking into the house, kicking the door closed behind her._

_“Damus, I’m home!” She called out._

_“In here!”_

_Nightshade tossed the cubes onto a pile of energon cubes stocked inside a little alcove and walked into another room, where a red and orange mech was sitting at a desk writing something while listening to music._

_“Primus, Damus, are you really listening to that song again?” Nightshade groaned. Damus, her conjux endura, turned his bright yellow eyes onto the much taller femme._

_“Don’t talk smack about the Emyprean Suite. It’s a work of art.” He said._

_“It’s annoying as hell.”_

_“Don’t snap at me because you don’t have any musical appreciation.” Damus shrugged. His lover was one of those “new age” bots who liked the garbage they pated in the Ky-Alexian clubs._

_Nightshade sighed and slumped into the old chair next to him. “Not now, Damus. I just flew in from Styx today and I’m exhausted.”_

_“Styx?” Damus blinked at her. “Whoa, Shade, that’s a good 500 miles from Tarn. What were you doing flying over there?”_

_“Getting us energon. Those oil holes over in Styx have laughable security. It’s not problem snatching cubes from there.” She said._

_Damus didn’t say anything. He hated that she had to go to so much effort just to get enough energon to last them a little over two days. It was a dangerous world out there for beast formers, and it wasn’t getting any safer with the growing riots and rallies these days._

_“Relax,” Nightshade said, sensing his discomfort. “I don’t mind flying the distance if it means that you get to function properly.”_

_“Still, if I could just go outside, then I can get some cubes from the refinery-“_

_“No, too risky. You know that the Senate’s lapdogs have been sniffing around for anybody stupid enough to go against the system.” She said. “And a mech who can turn into a tank working as a musician is not part of that system.”_

_Damus sighed and looked at his hands. His large, bulky frame held an all-terrain tank alt mode that was built for combat, but he hated fighting and wasn’t the type of mech who did well under the strain of military conduct. His main love was for music, listening to musical pieces of his own design that he would sell to some people. He even gained a bit of a fan base among the people in the neighborhood, fellow outcasts and workers. Such interests went against his function, and thus went against the hard line doctrine of the Senate and Functionists. The thought of what they would do to him if he was found out almost terrified him as much as what they would do to Nightshade._

_“I know it’s dangerous, but it’s better than having you risk your life every day just for a few scraps of energon. You’re strong, Nightshade, but not strong enough to take on the entire world.”_

_Nightshade took his face in her hands and turned him so he was facing her. “Damus, as long I have you, I will keep fighting. I don’t care about the risks; all I care about is making sure you get to live your life the way you want to. Together, we can fight through their oppression.”_

_Damus smiled at her. “I love you, Nightshade. Even without my music, I can still make it through this with you.”_

_Nightshade smiled and pressed her forehead against his. “We’ll always be together, won’t we?”_

_“Always.”_

XXXXXX

 ‘Damus.’ Nightshade thought forlornly. The thought of her lover made her Spark ache. It had been centuries since she last thought of him with the war going on, but she didn’t know why she was suddenly thinking about him right now. ‘It must be the scenery. It’s getting me sentimental.’

 Nightshade inhaled the fresh air through her olfactory sensors and walked into the cave. The tunnel sloped downwards, going surprisingly deep into the mountain and somehow large enough to accommodate her height. She looked at her scanner and saw no sign of the stasis panel’s signature anywhere near her.

 “Songbird, do you detect any sign of the panel? I’m not getting anything on the scanner.” She said.

 “No, mistress. I’m still detecting the signal, but now it’s below us.” Songbird said softly.

 Now this was getting strange. Nightshade descended deeper into the darkness, now going by her single spotlight to see in the dark, but after almost fifteen minutes of searching, she didn’t find anything. And she got the feeling that she was no closer to reaching the end to this tunnel at all.

 “What the hell is going on here?” Nightshade growled. She extended her sensors to analyze the area around her to see how close she was to the bottom, but something was blocking her scanner. She had no idea where she was! “Enough of this!”

 Raising her arm, Nightshade fired a blast from her railgun to blow a hole in the wall. She jumped through the hole, but instead of finding herself outside, she was inside another cavern.

 The cavern was massive, with clear, prismatic crystals sticking out of the walls and ground from one end of the cavern to the other. They glowed with a radiance that just made the entire place seem magical. Looking up, Nightshade saw that the cavern was also very tall, reaching up hundreds of feet above her, seemingly extending the entire length of the mountain.

 “Beautiful, isn’t it? You’ve always loved crystals, the natural beauty they displayed.”

 Nightshade froze and spun around, raising her weapon upon hearing the voice. “Who said that?”

 “Don’t you remember me, Shade?”

 Nightshade slowly turned around as she saw a red figure walking out from behind a large crystal. Her arm fell to her side as the figure came into view, her eyes widening.

 “D-Damus?” She gasped.

 Damus smiled and held out his arms. “Hello, my love.”

XXXXXX

 “Deadscream?” Starscream gasped, stepping back in shock. A second later he berated himself to showing fear to this…ghost and steeled himself. “How are you here? I…I killed you!”

 “Is that fear I hear in your voice, Starscream? Even after all these years you still tremble at the sound of my name?” Deadscream let out a horrible cackle that sent shivers up his spine. “Pathetic! And here you are, clamoring to be the top dog of the Decepticons.”

 “Shut up!”

 Starscream fired a blast from his null ray at Deadscream, but to his surprise, the beam missed her and hit the wall behind her.

 “You’re so terrified you can’t even hit me. Fine then, if you’re not going to draw first blood, then I’ll go first!”

 Deadscream leapt forward, a pair of barbed swords emerging from her arms, spewing blue flames from her feet as she charged at her brother. Starscream also brought out his cobalt bayonet and deflected the strike she sent at him that knocked him back into the wall.

 “Fight back!” Deadscream howled. She stabbed at his chest, but he deflected her blade and jumped to the side, only to get kicked in the face. “You coward, fight back!”

 He was trying to do just that, but something was distracting him. A soft hymn at the back of his mind was making it hard to properly focus. He fired his null ray again, but she dodged it and slashed at his shoulder, spraying energon from the wound in his arm. Her attacks were as quick and precise as they were all those years ago. He was no slouch in close combat, but she was making him look and feel like garbage just like she always had.

 They fought furiously, sparks flying from clashing blades as they tried to land a critical hit on each other. Starscream knocked her blade arm down and tried to behead her, but Deadscream tilted her head so that the blade went past her cheek and jumped up, kicking him in the chest with both feet with enough force to send him flying almost a foot through the air before landing at the entrance he came in earlier. She pounced on him and she pinned him to the ground.

 “I’m going to kill you, Starscream. Nice and slow.” Deadscream purred. “I’m going to pay you back for killing me all those years ago!”

 That jogged something in his mind. Yes, he did kill her the last time they talked-a long time ago in the twilight days of the Decepticon Uprising.

XXXXXX

_It was dusk when Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker were having a very tense and important discussion about the state of things going on in Kaon. The Decepticon revolution was reaching its zenith and things were at a critical moment for the Decepticons and the Seekers. What made this conversation so important was that their actions would reflect on the Seekers and bring unwanted attention to them, which could bring Deadscream’s wrath down upon them._

_“We need to do something, Starscream. The Senate is heading to Kaon for Megatron’s trial and he needs us there for the plan to work.” Thundercracker whispered. “If we miss this, the Cons will tear us to pieces.”_

_“I’m well aware of that, Thundercracker, thank you very much.” Starscream muttered, rubbing his forehead._

_“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go already before your sister gets wind of this.” Skywarp urged._

_“Oh, don’t worry, we’re leaving all right.” Starscream huffed. “It’s only a matter of time before the riots start in the streets.”_

_Deadscream was going off the deep end as the situation in Kaon deteriorated. She had placed the Seekers in a precarious position by murdering Senator Crocus in his home and pinning the blame on the Decepticons to keep any like-minded rebels from planting seeds within their borders. No one knew of the crime, of course, but Starscream knew that people will connect the dots once they thought long and hard about what kind of person Deadscream was. The Seekers now had full control of Vos under the guise of keeping the peace, but at what cost?_

_“But after we help Megatron, what are we going to do? Deadscream will brand us as traitors and hunt us down.” Thundercracker said. “And Primus help us if she starts something with Megatron.”_

_“I’d actually love to see that.” Skywarp chuckled. Thundercracker rolled his eyes at him._

_“You fragging would.”_

_The comm-link sounded and they heard Slipstream’s voice ring through. “Yo, boss lady wants you three down in the command center on the double.”_

_Slipstream didn’t even wait for a reply before hanging up and Starscream sighed as he got to his feet. he and his subordinates went outside onto the balcony and changed into jet modes before flying over to the highest tower in the Vos Aerospace Citadel that acted as their main base of operations._

_They switched back to robot mode as they reached the landing platform outside the command center and quickly entered the chamber, where they found that most of the high ranking Seekers were assembled in the main hall used for debriefings. Deadscream stood in the front of the room looking at them like they weren’t even worth her time._

_“Bout damn time you three joined us.” Deadscream said coldly. Thundercracker looked around for a certain green flyer._

_“Where’s Skyfire?” He asked._

_“She ditched us, along with Sunstone and almost a quarter of our numbers here to join up with the Autobots.” Slipstream hissed._

_“A quarter?!” Starscream gaped. Skyfire and Sunstone defecting wasn’t a surprise-they were never cut out for the more cutthroat side of their dealings-but to have a quarter of their forces defect to those so-called Autobots? That was unbelievable._

_“Deadscream, I know you want us to remain independent, but you and I both know the Senate will come down on us once they learn what we did. We need to side with the Decepticons for protection.” Starscream urged his sister. “We need their military support to keep the other states off our backs.”_

_“I have told you one too many times, Starscream, that we Seekers adhere to no one! If those pencil pushers from Iacon want a fight, then we’ll give them a fight. We have the superior numbers and the home field advantage, and we will win.”_

_“But-“_

_Deadscream leapt up to him, standing close enough to him that he could see her optics through her optical lens. “I will not throw away our independence because you are too scared to fight like a true warrior!”_

_“I’m trying to preserve our way of life! The Decepticons are on the rise, and in the coming days they’re planning to deal a massive blow against the Senate. If we want to be on the winning team, then we need to join with them!” Starscream yelled back. “The Decepticons will rule Cybertron and the Seekers will be at the vanguard of their conquest, and we deserve the glory of changing the future of this world!”_

_Deadscream punched him in the face and sent him to the ground, and began kicking and stomping on him. The other Seekers, though riled up by Starscream’s words, hung back knowing that they’ll only be killed by the crazed femme._

_“I AM THE COMMANDER OF THE SEEKERS! NOT SKYFIRE, NOT SENTINEL, AND CERTAINLY NOT YOU!!!” Deadscream roared, stomping on the back of his head. “I AM SICK OF YOUR COWARDICE! YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO OUR BROTHERHOOD, AND I WILL NOT TOLERATE WEAKNESS FROM ANYONE, ESPECIALLY FROM MY FAILURE OF A BROTHER!”_

_Each word hurt more than the blows he was taking. She abused him, treated him like dirt, insulted his pride…but this time it was different. She was accusing him of being a traitor to the Seekers, to his kin. That was something he was not going to take from her. He was trying to bring the Seekers into the future, give them a place in the new world order and become the mighty armada they were supposed to be. He was the traitor…she was!_

_“I AM NO TRAITOR!”_

_Starscream’s unexpected roar made Deadscream pause, and that gave him enough time to jump up, his arm blade shooting from his arm as he leapt at her. With a thrust of his arm, the bayonet sank into Deadscream’s chest, emerging from her back as it pierced her Spark core. Both twins stared at each other in the eyes as the light faded from Deadscream’s eyes, her face stuck in a shocked expression as the life faded from her body._

_Starscream slowly pulled the blade from her body, letting her fall back to the floor, staring at the corpse in shock. She…she was dead. And by his own hand no less. A smile spread across his face as he finally processed what just happened. He was finally free of her!_

_Looking up at the other Seekers staring at him in shock and awe, Starscream stood tall over his sister’s body, trying to look every bit the commander he now was._

_“Seekers! Our leader is dead! As the highest ranking officer here, it is my right to take command of the Seekers of Vos.” He declared. “Are there any objections?”_

_No one spoke up-in fact, they were all happy with the passing of leadership to Starscream, with everyone now showing relief that Deadscream was gone. No longer did they have to fear for their lives, or tip toe around her hoping not to trigger her psychotic temper tirades._

_Starscream smirked. “Good. Now all Seekers, prepare to head to Kaon. We’re going to make history.”_

XXXXXX

 He killed her because she was leading the Seekers to ruin, infecting them with the same stagnation that took hold of the Senate and the entire world. He did Cybertron a favor by snuffing out her Spark!

 ‘And if she was dead, then this specter,’ Thought Starscream. ‘This ghost isn’t her at all.’

 “I see now. You aren’t Deadscream-you’re nothing like her!” He growled, making her freeze. “You’re an imposter. The real Deadscream is dead and rust, I tossed her body into the Sonic Canyons myself. And Deadscream never plays with her food!”

 He pushed her away and stabbed his bayonet into the fake Deadscream’s chest, just like before. But unlike the last time, her body began to shimmer and fade, like a hologram. Starscream grinned as the illusion faded and crossed his arms.

 “Now why don’t you come out so we can have a real battle.” He called out into the cave.

_“Be careful what you wish for, alien.”_ A raspy voice said from seemingly everywhere. “ _You will regret that decision.”_

Starscream saw the air in front of him shimmer and distort before a large, misshapen form appeared in front of him. His eyes widened a she laid eyes on the alien creature before him.

 “What…what are you?”

XXXXXX

 “Damus?” Nightshade whispered, her voice little more than a whisper. “Is that really you?”

 “It is, my dear.” Damus said, smiling. “Look at you. I’m amazed at how strong you had become. You truly are a predator.”

 Overcome with emotion, Nightshade disengaged Songbird from her arm and ran into the arms of her lost love. She hugged him tightly, afraid that he might disappear again.

 Songbird transformed and looked at her mistress. This was her lover, Damus? But, she heard from Nightshade that he died long before the Clampdown on Cybertron. There was no way he could still be alive at this time, let alone be on this planet of all places. Something wasn’t right.

 Then she saw it; Damus’s body shimmered for a split second, but her large, keen eyes caught it in time. Like an illusion…or a hologram!

 “Mistress, it’s a trap! That’s not Damus!” She called out.

 Her words didn’t reach Nightshade, because unknown to the Minicon, there was a high pitched noise ringing in Nightshade’s audials. Seeing that her words were not reaching her mistress, Songbird decided to take drastic action. She transformed to her weapon mode and fired off thrusters from her handle before firing an electrical blast at Damus. The beam shot over Nightshade’s shoulder and hit him in the chest, knocking him back. Nightshade spun around and glared at her.

 “Songbird, stand down!” Nightshade shouted. “He’s not your enemy!”

 “That is not Damus, mistress. He is an imposter-look!”

 Nightshade turned back to Damus just in time to see his body ripple like water before returning to normal. Her eyes went wide and she winced as the noise in her head got louder.

 “Shade, is something wrong?” Damus asked.

 “W-Who are you?” She grunted.

 Damus cocked his head. “Excuse me?”

 “Who the hell are you?” Nightshade shouted. The ringing was getting louder now and it was only making her angrier. “You…you’re not Damus. The Damus I know is dead!”

 How could she forget her greatest mistake? Damus, the real Damus, died because she wasn’t strong enough to protect him.

XXXXXX

_Nightshade flew over to the familiar street where she lived with her lover. Walking over to their rundown house, she was about to call out to Damus when she noticed that the door was smashed in, and there were signs of a battle along the ground and doorway._

_“Damus?” She called out as she ran into the house. “Damus, are you here? Answer me!”_

_The interior of the house was a mess, ransacked. The energon cubes were gone, and there was some energon pooled on the floor, definitely spilled from someone. Nightshade looked in Damus’ music room to see that most of his instruments and recording equipment was destroyed, and as she looked to the ground, she saw another gruesome sight._

_A pair of severed hands._

_“No…” Nightshade whispered. They got him. Those Functionist bastards got him!_

_“Aww, is the little birdy sad that her boyfriend got taken away?”_

_Nightshade spun around and saw a light blue femme walk out of the storage room. She had a very sharp, lithe, angular frame, with long arms tipped with sharp claws that were jagged like thunderbolts. Her head was curved and v-shaped, and her blue eyes glowed with barely unrestrained energy._

_“Who are you?” Nightshade growled._

_“Sourcefield, proud agent of the Functionists, and you must be Nightshade.” Sourcefield ran her eyes along Nightshade’s body. “My, you certainly are easy on the eyes, aren’t you?”_

_“Where is Damus?”_

_“Your boyfriend’s been shipped off to get some…reconditioning. To know of his true place in the world, you know? Don’t worry, he’ll live. Which is much more than what I can say for you, animal.”_

_“Tell me where he is!” Nightshade snarled. Sourcefield laughed._

_“You’ll have to do more than that just to give me a scary-“_

_Nightshade transformed in the blink of an eye and slammed into Sourcefield, smashing her through the wall and throwing her outside into the street. Sourcefield quickly encased her body in lightning and began firing bolts at Nightshade. Nightshade changed forms and switched to robot mode and ducked under the bolts, letting them crash into the remains of her house before leaping at Sourcefield._

_Sourcefield ducked under her punch and delivered a lightning covered punch of her own to Nightshade’s face, sending her to the ground. Nightshade took out her dagger and stabbed it into Sourcefield’s thigh._

_“Agh!” Sourcefield hissed. “You glitch!”_

_Nightshade let go before Sourcefield could electrify the knife and her with it, jumping to her feet and quickly stabbing her knife into the femme’s torso, right through the t-cog and pulling the blade upwards. Pain erupted in Sourcefield’s body and she coughed up energon as her chest was slowly carved open. Nightshade didn’t stop until the blade was touching the femme’s Spark casing._

_“Tell me where Damus is or I will make your death a slow and painful one.” Nightshade hissed. Sourcefield tried to summon her electrical aura, but Nightshade twisted the knife in her chest to stop her. “Tell me!”_

_“H-He’s at the Rivets Field facility.” Sourcefield groaned, coughing up a laugh. “Good luck trying to get in. The place is too heavily guarded for you, animal.”_

_“I’ll deal with that as I see fit.” Nightshade said before pulling the knife up through Sourcefield’s chest, slicing her Spark core in half all the way up to her face._

_Hours later, after a long, hard battle in which Nightshade and her hired help, the Stunticons, infiltrated and massacred the facility’s security teams and staff. She made it to the holding cell where they operated on patients, covered in cuts and burns as she blew open the door and ran into the chamber._

_“Damus? It’s me, Nightshade. Please, answer me!” Nightshade called out._

_“S-Shade?” A weak voice answered. “Is that you?”_

_Nightshade looked to the far side of the room and saw her lover strapped to an operating table. She ran over to him and broke his bonds, pulling him into her arms and off the slab as she put his head onto her lap. She got a good look at his face and hands, and gasped._

_“W-what’s wrong?” Damus asked deliriously. “Why do I feel so strange?”_

_“D-Don’t talk. Just rest, you’ve been through a lot, but you’re safe now.” Her voice cracked a bit as she was slowly overcome with emotion._

_“Shade, what’s wro-“ Damus’ voice trailed off as he tried to reach for his face, only to see that his hands were now three clawed manipulators. “What is this?”_

_Nightshade said nothing as she let Damus stumble for his feet and reach for the first reflective object he could find to look into it. What he saw staring back made him give a horrific scream of agony and pain. His face was gone, replaced with a round head with a single yellow eye in the center._

_“WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO ME?!” He wailed, falling to his knees. “MY HANDS, MY FACE! THEY TOOK IT ALL AWAY!”_

_Nightshade said nothing as she stood up and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight as he sobbed tearlessly over his lost face and hands._

XXXXXX

 “You are not Damus.” Nightshade growled, glaring at the illusion hatefully. “He’s dead, and he’s never coming back.”

 “What? But I’m right here. I’m as real as the crystals you see around us.” Damus said, but she shook her head.

 “The mech I loved died that day, when the Functionists stole his hands and face!” Nightshade drew her swords and pointed them at the fake Damus. “And how dare you desecrate his memory by wearing his face. Show yourself to me, you hellspawn!”

 Damus frowned. “But I am Damus. Don’t you remember how we would argue about my tastes in music? How I always loved listening to classics from Harmonex?”

 The ringing was getting louder, but Nightshade was doing her best to ignore it. “No, I saw him die in my arms. He’s gone, now and forever! And there’s nothing anyone can say about that! So get out of my head!”

 Songbird powerelinked with Nightshade and fired a beam at Damus. The beat hit him in the chest, and this time, his image shattered like glass before fading into nothingness. The crystals around them went dark, dimming into a dark blue glow that cloaked them in shadow.

_“Well done. Not many can ignore my songs so easily.”_ A female voice said. “ _As a reward, you shall be the first to hear my trumpet as I sound the end of your world!”_

Nightshade looked around for the speaker, but flinched when she heard the deafening sound of a trumpet ring in the cave. The bellowing horn reverberated throughout the island, signaling that the façade had gone on long enough. It was time to end this farce and eliminate their enemies immediately.

XXXXXX

 Every fiber of Megatron’s being was screaming that something was wrong. It first began when he followed the trial of the Minicon panel into the most remote area of the island, a marsh that led deeper into the jungle. Then he had lost contact with Nightshade and Starscream, as well as their Minicons.

 “I don’t know if it’s the mineral composition of the caves around here or our different locations, but I’m not picking up their comm-signals.” Leader-1 said. It was slightly unnerving to him, seeing as he was always used to being in constant contact with his Minicons subordinates.

 Megatron only grunted in response as he continued on his path through the forest, hacking away at trees in his way. Leader-1 struggled to catch up to his master’s large strides.

 “You aren’t going to look for them, sir?” He asked.

 “Unlike Prime, I can trust my lieutenant to take care of herself. As for Starscream, self preservation is a running gag for that ambitious fool. He’ll be fine as well. Right now, I have a job to do, and I intend to finish it.” Megatron said, not looking at his little assistant. “Can you detect anything in our vicinity?”

 Leader-1 scanned the local area for the panel’s signal and saw that it was only a few feet ahead of them. He relayed the information to Megatron, who grinned.

 They went deeper into the forest, and the sunlight was starting to be blocked by the thick, grey clouds that slowly eclipsed over the island. They made it out of the dense brush and came upon the edge of a courtyard.

 In the yard was the remains of a temple or shrine, though most of the structure was gone, exposing the interior to the humidity of the forest around them. The floor of the half destroyed temple was smooth and tiled, patterned with murals; there were twelve in all, each one depicting a powerful warrior performing a dangerous labor of some kind. Megatron studied them for a second before looking at the large statue at the center of the twelve murals. As he laid eyes on it, something about the eroded statue sent a sharp pain through Megatron’s Spark.

 ‘What is this?’ He thought as he walked closer to it.

 The statue was of a man with half his face missing holding the broken form of a woman in his arms. The woman was little more than a torso, and she was caressing the man’s face with her one arm. Both figures were staring at each other with unbridled love, knowing full well the tragedy of their situation.

_“I’m so sorry, Megatron. I wasn’t strong enough.”_

Megatron gritted his teeth as a memory rose from the depths of his mind. Images of a broken body in his arms, the burning remains of buildings and bots around them, the rough feeling of a blackened, scorched hand running down his face as he watched the light fade from her eyes.

 “Sir? Are you alright?” Leader-1 asked.

 A loud trumpet bellowed around them, and Megatron could hear it deep inside his head. He winced and covered the sides of his head, but the horn still rang through his audials, getting louder and louder until he couldn’t even hear his own thoughts anymore.

 “STOP IT!” Megatron roared. Then he heard a voice in his head, a voice that still haunted his memories since Cybertron’s fall.

 “ _Megatron, I know you don’t want to be in power, but if you want to realize your dream, to see this movement gain strength, then you must take charge. Never give in, never show weakness. Because it is by showing defiance that you prove to them that you are a threat the likes of which they have never seen before. You are someone they cannot intimidate or subjugate. When they realize that they cannot silence you, or coerce you to take a different path, that is when they’ll learn that you are stronger than all of them combined. That is the strength of the individual heart, your heart. There is only once place at the table, Megatron…and you must make sure that you are the only one ready to take it.”_

Megatron’s eyes snapped opened and he let out a mighty roar at the sky that could be heard all over the island. “RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

 Leader-1 jumped back as he felt some sort of wave wash over the area, and felt the previous dense atmosphere become lighter. He didn’t even realize that until now. Megatron fell to one knee, panting as he held a hand to his aching head.

 “Lord Megatron?” Leader-1 said cautiously. He didn’t want to be anywhere near the warlord if he was going to have another outburst like that.

 “Leader-1, powerlink with me right now.” Megatron commanded.

 “Wha-“

 “DO IT!”

 Leader-1 did as he was told and connected to Megatron’s left arm, splitting apart his arm to extend his arm blade coated in electricity. Megatron got to his feet and called out into the ruins.

 “Come out and face me!” He bellowed. “Your illusions will not work on me anymore!”

 The air around the statue shimmered like water before a large form appeared hovering in the air. The creature was humanoid, standing almost as tall as Megatron, and was female. Her skin was smooth and hard like marble, and she had six wings made of solid gold, in addition to six arms, three on each side. Her most defining feature was that her head had three faces, each depicting a different emotion-anger, sadness and happiness.

 “Who are you?” Megatron demanded.

 “ _I am Gabriel, leader of the Archangels, and queen of Lemnos.”_ The creature said, smirking at the Decepticon leader. “ _And I know who you are, Megatron of Tarn.”_

“If you know about me, then you should know better than to try to defeat me with magic tricks.” Megatron pointed his sword at her. “Who the hell do you think you are to interfere with me?”

 Gabriel gave one simple answer that summed up her entire existence on this planet. “God.”

 Gabriel’s face switched to Anger and her two main arms glowed bright red. Placing her hands together, she fired a bright red beam at Megatron, who jumped aside. It was just in time, as the beam was so hot that the armor on his right leg actually heated up just from being near it. The beam tore through the trees behind him, carving a smoking path through the foliage for almost two feet before stopping.

_“Try as you might to kill me, you will only wear yourself down. Even as we speak, my sisters prey upon the memories of your soldiers, growing stronger from their suffering.”_ Gabriel said. “ _It’s no use defying us.”_

“The last person who said that to me was killed by my bare hands!” Megatron growled. “No one is greater than Megatron!”

 Megatron charged at Gabriel, who summoned another beam to shoot at him, signaling the start of a very ferocious battle.

XXXXXX

 Starscream burst out of the ground in his jet mode with five beams of light chasing him. He performed a complicated series of maneuvers in the air to avoid the fast moving beams, just barely getting out of the line of fire. Not long after, another larger form rose out of the ground and into the air at break-neck speeds after him.

 The being known as Nuriel was a being Starscream was hard pressed to have seen before. Her body was massive, reaching almost 35 feet in height, with a humanoid body made of brown and yellow stone, looking as if a master artisan had carved her with utmost care. She had four arms, and two faces, both portraying the emotions of Anger and Sadness. She had four wings behind her that were made of the same beige stony material as the rest of her.

 “ _Why do you run, when I can chase you to the ends of this world and the next? You did not run from your sister, and she was much more savage than I.”_ Nuriel said.

 “Shut up!” Starscream curved around and fired two missiles at her. But just before they could reach her, they exploded against something invisible.

_“What hope do you have against me, a holy warrior of the mighty Host?”_ Nuriel laughed. She opened her mouth and sang a low musical note that rose in tempo.

  Her body glowed before the light aura gathered into a halo and extended outwards. The wave washed over Starscream and he cried out as he felt his body get heavier before he was pulled down to earth by a powerful force. He crashed into the beach, sending sand flying everywhere and getting partially buried in a crater.

 “Move boss!” Grid shouted.

 Starscream pushed himself out of the crater and used his boosters to leap away. A millisecond alter, the spot he was just in caved in, like all the gravity in the world compressed into that single spot.

 “ _You, a warrior who fears the earth so much that you scorn those who are not blessed with flight. I shall burn your wings and anchor you to the ground by your soul for your hubris!”_ Nuriel declared.

 “Don’t you ever shut up?” Starscream growled. He boosted into the air and flew at Nuriel like a bullet. Nuriel sang again and this time Starscream felt the air around him get thicker. He dived to the side as a deep boom rumbled through the air, and kept flying at her.

 The air was alive with thunderous booms as Nuriel tried to crush Starscream into oblivion. Each time the Seeker managed to avoid being turned into a living cube of cybermatter, but the compression orbs were appearing faster and faster, increasing his chances of death each second. His window of error was decreasing by the minute.

 ‘Let’s finish this!” Starscream thought. He flew high enough so that he was on Nuriel’s level and fired his null ray at her face, making sure to put more power into it.

_“Arrogant fool.”_ Nuriel sang and the beam dissipated before it reached her face. She returned her focus to Starscream…only to find that he was gone. _“What?”_

Something caught the corner of her eye and she turned to see Starscream right beside her. “Time for your encore.”

 Nuriel screamed as the full powered null beam tore into her face and blasted her head apart. Starscream’s attack tore apart her head and most of her upper torso, leaving the rest of her body to crumble apart and scatter like dust in the wind.

 And so the first sister fell.

XXXXXX

 The underground cavern shook violently as the deafening sound of a trumpet echoed throughout the interior of the mountain. Nightshade hid behind a stone pillar to avoid the sonic wave that crushed the boulder next to her into dust.

 Her opponent was as vicious as she was thorough. Israfel was a being who had a feminine humanoid form, her a red, clay-like body and unlike her sisters, she had two arms and wings, both glowing with bluish violet veins. In her hand was a golden trumpet which she used to signal the call for war.

 “ _I thought you liked music, my dear?”_ Israfel said, still using Damus’s voice. “ _Don’t tell me you like that new age crap these humans listen to!”_

She blew into her horn and released a powerful musical note at Nightshade’s hiding place. The femme ran out of cover just as the pillar was blown apart by the sonic attack.

 “Not when I hear music as bad as yours!” nightshade replied. She fired a blast from her railgun, but the angel dodged it. “What are you? What the hell is your problem with us?”

 “ _Our problem?”_ Israfel growled. “ _This is no mere problem. Your kind invades our island, taints our world with your war and your very presence. Your lives were forfeit the minute the minute you stepped foot onto our shores! But fear not, for through death, you will avoid the eventual destruction of the old world as we usher in the new one.”_

“Wonderful,” Nightshade ducked under another wave and fired again at the angel. “A religious nut who thinks she’s some deity. I don’t believe in gods.”

 “ _You will after today-when I send you to yours!”_ Israfel bellowed.

 Nightshade transformed to beast mode and flew at Israfel. The angel blew into her trumpet and sent out another devastating sonic wave that hit her body with debilitating force, but she weathered through it and kept flying. Israfel wasn’t expecting the Decepticon to keep going and was rammed into by Nightshade, sending them both crashing through the wall. They smashed through three layers of rock nonstop before emerging outside, where Nightshade kicked her away and fired her micro-missiles at her.

 The missiles hit the angel in various parts of her body, blasting off chunks of her clay skin. Israfel glared at the Con and blew another deafening sonic attack that destroyed the missiles and hit Nightshade in her right side, crushing her arm and mangling her wing. Even still, she kept fighting.

 Songbird delivered the finger blow, firing one precise blast when Nightshade raised her arm and hit Israfel’s head dead center. The angel’s expression was one of surprise before her body went still and she fell to the ground, crumbling to pieces upon falling.

 Nightshade landed on the ground and fell to her knees, clutching her damaged arm. Songbird detached from her arm and climbed onto her shoulder. “Mistress, are you okay?”

 “Y-yes, Songbird, I’m fine.” Nightshade sighed, wincing at the pain in her arm and wing. “Nothing a few minutes in the CR chamber won’t fix.”

 ‘Megatron, be careful. These things are no joke.’ Nightshade thought. If there were more of these things on Terra, then this planet just got a lot more dangerous.

XXXXXX

 Megatron cursed as he was forced to dodge another beam barrage from Gabriel. She had him on the defensive, constantly firing an endless array of beams that kept him moving so that he didn’t gain enough time to use his fusion cannon. Smart, considering it was his most powerful weapon. Gabriel changed her face to her Sadness expression and her beams lengthened into photon whips that tore apart everything they touched.

 “ _Why do you resist? I am trying to give you a merciful death.”_ Gabriel said. _“You should be honored to be killed by me.”_

“And why do you continue your pointless chatter? You’re no different from any other worthless life form on this world. Always talking and doing nothing!” Megatron said. “This is why you creatures are below us!”

 “ _And yet my planet is not a dead husk from an endless war.”_ She retorted.

 Megatron fired his fusion cannon and she dodged the plasma beam. She lashed out with her whips and he ducked under one of them, but it caught his shoulder, leaving a searing burn on his armor. The other wrapped around his sword arm and slowly began burning through his armor.

 “It will when I’m finished with it!” He roared.

 Megatron planted his feet on a stone pillar and pushed off it to launch himself at her. Gabriel changed to Anger and fired a beam at him, but she could hit his shoulder as he thrust his arm forward and stabbed his blade into her face. Before he could do anything else, Gabriel summoned a photon barrier to block his blade. He tried to force his sword through, but it couldn’t pass her defense.

 Gabriel smirked and expanded her shield, releasing a force wave that blew Megatron back and sent him crashing into a tree. She floated over to him and slashed one of her whips along his chest, leaving a deep gash in his chest plate. She changed to Happiness to keep her anger at bay. Such feelings were not befitting of a holy warrior serving under the Divine Goddess.

_“Megatron, the fallen hero who failed to deliver his promise of freedom and prosperity for his people. You have sacrificed so much to get to where you are now, including the life of the only person you loved. And what do you have to show for it? A dead world? A dying species?”_ Gabriel taunted. “ _Please, tell me what else I missed.”_

 Megatron gave her a bloody smile. “Nothing you’ll live long enough to see.”

 Twin pulse blasts hit her wings and Gabriel spun around to glare at the Minicon that attacked her. Growling, she switched to Anger and prepared to obliterate Leader-1, but to her surprise, a large metal hand grabbed her wings and pulled hard, ripping them from her back. Megatron tossed the wings aside and slammed his fist into the side of her head, staggering her before following up with a clothesline that sent her to the ground. Grabbing her around the throat, he kept her pinned to the ground so that she could look into her eyes.

 “Now I ask the questions.” Megatron hissed. “What are you? Who sent you here to this world?”

 Gabriel smiled, despite being on the verge of death. “ _We were born on this world long ago, shaped by the hands of Her Grace. This world is ours, and you will not take it from us, alien.”_

Megatron growled and squeezed harder until he felt her neck shatter under his grip. He stood up as her body began breaking apart, and even then she was still laughing at him.

_“You think you’re all powerful, but you have no idea what your arrival to this world has wrought upon your people. You will live through your battles only to see everyone and everything you hold dear crumble to dust at your feet and rule over a kingdom of ashes. And when the end of the world comes, I will be there to sing of your death.”_ Gabriel said as the light faded from her eyes. “ _May the great Jubileus...grace you…”_

Gabriel’s body crumbled to pieces and Megatron stared at her body, holding onto his wounded shoulder. Leader-1 walked up to him, holding a stasis panel.

 “Lord Megatron, I found the panel.” He said. “It was behind the statue.”

 “Good. Locate Nightshade and Starscream, and then call Soundwave for a ground bridge. We’re leaving this hell hole.”

 “Yes, sir.”

 Leader-1 scampered off and left Megatron alone in the courtyard. He stared at the statue of the man holding the dying woman in his arms. He didn’t show it, but Gabriel’s sorcery brought up painful memories that he tried very hard to bury. Memories that he’d rather stayed buried.

 He raised his fusion cannon and blew the statue apart in a single shot. Then he walked away, eyes closed and Spark heavy.

 “Nevermore.”

 


	15. Feet of Clay, Head of Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to check out the official Transformers Titan website for more chapters and extra features. Link is in my profile.

Chapter 14-Feet of Clay, Head of Gold

 It was a bright, sunny day near the Elladan islands as the Autobots were taking a small break while they focused on locating the real location of the Minicon panel they found in a painting of the Argonauts. Sitting just outside of the cove where they found a ship that was once part of the Argo’s fleet, they learned that it wasn’t the flagship, but it still might’ve had a clue to where the real Argo is. Until they could get an idea as to where the ship’s resting place was, they had to sit still for a while and mingle in their own business.

 Optimus was standing off to the side checking up on the rest of the Autobots that were on missions around the world. Jazz was practicing his fighting moves on a rock by the beach, and Prowl was watching over the children and Minicons. Kevin, Sparkplug, D-Va and Tracer were sitting around Gina while she worked her magic, studying the log book they snagged from the ship they uncovered and making deductions based on that. Roadstorm was just hanging out by himself, snoozing.

 “Okay, so we’re here, in Delos.” She pointed to a tiny dot near the area of the map she highlighted. “And these are the Agean Islands. One of these islands is the resting place of the Argo, and the location of the stasis panel. There are three islands to check out-Crete, Colchis and Hesperides.”

 “We still don’t know where the panel is?” Tracer groaned. “Couldn’t we track it?”

 “Not until it activates itself.” Sparkplug said. “This is a premature mission. We have to rely on the route the Argo last took if we want to find the panel.”

 “Not to mention that is only in the case scenario if the ship is in one piece.” Prowl pointed out. “If it’s been destroyed, then we will have a difficult time finding the panel at the bottom of the sea.”

 “That’s wonderful news.” D-Va grumbled.

 “And there’s a slim chance that there are still some golems running around on these islands as guardians of past settlements that lived here.” Gina added.

 It wasn’t uncommon for golems, the ancient robotic warriors of the Arians, to still be operational after thousands of years. It was one of the enigmas of the strange piece of Arian machinery-no one knew how these ancient but advanced machines could survive the ravages of time and still be able to operate on their own. It was one of the dangers of snooping around Arian ruins; the next golem you uncovered could easily wake up and kill you in a heartbeat if you aren’t careful.

 “Can we just focus on the pros? At least we have a rough estimate of where we need to go.” Kevin pointed out. “We just need to pick a starting place and go.”

 “Doesn’t this mean we’ll have to search each island from top to bottom if we don’t get it on the first try?” Tracer asked. She gave a pout when Gina and Prowl nodded.

 “Yeah, that’s what it means. Sorry, Tracer.” Gina smiled apologetically. “We need to absolutely sure that the panel is not on an island before moving on.”

 “So what’s our target?” Jazz asked.

 Optimus walked up to them. “The island closest to us would be the most logical choice.”

 Gina pointed to an island shaped like a tear drop. “Crete.”

 “Well then,” Prowl said. “What are we waiting for? Let’s get moving before the Cons get the jump on us again.”

XXXXXX

 Knockout was already cursing his luck the moment she stepped onto the sandy beach of the island of Hesperides. He was never a fan of beaches, the sand got into places that were hard to clean, and the salty sea air did a number on his paint if he stayed near the ocean for too long. It was also for this reason that quite a few Decepticon units requested him on their roster when infiltrating water worlds, just to piss him off. A lot of people got a laugh out of that.

 Behind him, Barricade and Lugnut also exited the ground bridge, with Lugnut’s new Minicon partner in tow, Search. Search was the Minicon Megatron bestowed upon him upon returning from Lemnos. He was a plain looking mech with light brown armor that turned copper around the knees. He had a blue visor and brown faceplate. One thing of note about him was that his long arms lacked hands, in their place were laser cannons, which in hindsight wasn’t a good idea since he had no way of holding objects, making him pretty useless outside of battle. But still, it was the thought that counts.

 “Alright, remind me why Lord Megatron isn’t dragging Starscream along on this mission?” knockout grumbled. “I thought we were following a lead because of that dingus.”

 “Lord Megatron and Nightshade are still recovering from their battle against the aliens on Lemnos, as is Starscream.” Barricade told him. “After hearing their report on what they went through, I don’t blame them for being out of it.”

 “As if we weren’t having enough problems with the Autobots, now we have to worry about walking statues with a god complex.” Knockout groaned. Lugnut hit him on the shoulder, knocking him onto his face in the sand. “What was that for, you mono-eyed brute!”

 “Cease your incessant whining! We come here on a mission for Lord Megatron and I intend to see it through to the end. I will not have you speaking treasonous words on the field, doctor!” Lugnut growled. Knockout shot back up to his feet and converted his right hand into his saw.

 “Watch that tone, big guy, or you’ll be picking pieces of your optic lens out of your cranium when I’m done with you!” He snarled.

 Barricade swung his gyro-blades to break the two up before any blows could be dealt. “Stop this! We have a job to do, if you two scrap heads hadn’t noticed. We need to find the panel before the Autobots locate it or Megatron will turn us inside out!”

 “Oh come on! Let them fight,” Search said eagerly. “It’ll be exciting!”

 Barricade gave him a withering glare. “We need to focus and do our jobs, then you two can rip each other to pieces. Can we do that, at least?”

 Knockout and Lugnut glared at each other for a moment before settling down.

 “Fine, I guess we can hold off the dissection until a later date.” Knockout huffed indignantly.

 “I shall hold myself back for Lord Megatron.” Lugnut nodded, and then added, “But after this mission I will grind your bones into dust!”

 “Ugh, someone kill me already.” Barricade sighed. He really hated working with these people. It was like trying to hold an intelligent conversation with a Constructicon.

XXXXXX

 The travel to Crete was short and sweet, no hassle, no obstacles, and definitely no Cons. The Autobots and their smaller allies arrived on the shore of the island’s beach via a ground bridge, and not a second sooner did they step onto the sand did they run into something out of the ordinary.

 Standing in the middle of the beach was a statue. It was tall, standing around 38 feet and made of bronze. It was built in the likeliness of a human, a man sculpted to visual perfection, which was very common in Elladan artwork. Its arms were raised to the sky with its gaze on the sun as if revering the gods above, eyes staring blankly into the sky. It was definitely old, but there were very little signs of age-with only a few rusty spots on its armor. Whoever built this made sure to leave an impression on all who saw this.

 “Just when you’ve thought you’ve seen everything.” Optimus commented.

 “What is it with you humans making statues ten times larger than you? Seriously, it’s not like I feel small enough next to these giant bozos.” Roadstorm grumbled.

 “That’s not a statue. That’s a deactivated golem.” Gina said, taking pictures with her Sky Spy. “This golem is called Talon. It’s a golem made by the people who lived on Crete before they left the island. It was supposed to act as a guardian, patrolling the beaches three times a day and attacking anything in sight.”

 “This was made hundreds of years ago, before the advent of electricity?” Prowl questioned, looking down at the kids. “And no one knows how to control them?”

 “That’s the thing. The golems were made before the Void Century. There probably is a way to control them, but any specific records were lost.” Gina shrugged.

 Yet another mystery of this world. Optimus studied the statue and wondered how could primitive humans have even made such an advanced robot if they haven’t even learned how to make steel yet? Usually such contradictions in time periods and technological levels are often the result of outside interference. There have been more than enough instances where rogue cybertronians gifted primitive races with advanced technology just to make a quick buck or something even less moral. He didn’t know what Terra’s story was, but there were definitely signs of outside interference on the technological level, if that was what really happened.

 ‘But that is a worry for another time. We have work to do.’ Thought Optimus.

 “Well, we aren’t going to get any work done standing around.” Prowl said. “Prime, I suggest that we split up into teams and-“

 Out of nowhere, the leg of Talos lashed out and hit Prowl in the chest, knocking him back across the beach to stop in a heap of sand.

 “Prowl!” Optimus yelled.

 “Hey! No one hits my friend like that!” Tracer yelled and rushed forward.

 “Tracer, no!” D-Va tried to stop her, but the femme had already transformed and was driving towards the left leg of the golem.

 Hovering across the sand on turbines built into her legs, Tracer took out her dual photon blasters and began shooting haphazardly at its leg. Surprisingly, its ancient metal armor withstood the energy onslaught and it showed little damage aside from some scorch marks. It wasn’t until her shots got close to its heel that it suddenly jerked up and lashed out at them.

 “Move it, girl!” Jazz yelled as he rushed forward at speeds rivaling an Olympic sprinter and scooped Tracer up before Talon smashed the Minicon to tiny pieces. The punch alone made the beach shake and sent a cloud of sand flying everywhere.

 Talon moved with a painful slowness attained from centuries of inactivity. The golem’s movements got quicker the more it moved, and it bent forward, slowly turning towards the Autobots. Its eyes opened and two eyes that looked like gleaming sapphires stared directly at the intruders.

 “And that’s our queue to get out of here!” D-Va snatched up Kevin and Gina and changed into her motorcycle form, speeding away from the hostile robot as it stood to its full height.

 “Autobots, fall back!” Optimus said and changed into his truck mode, driving into the forest. Jazz and Prowl followed him in their alt modes along with the Minicons. Roadstorm, ever the optimist, chose to moment to give his witty comment of the day.

 “Well this went about as well as I expected.” He quipped.

 “Not now, Roadstorm!” Prowl scolded.

 Talon’s eyes followed the smaller forms of the Autobots, its cybernetic brain dictating that they were unauthorized intruders who would do harm to Crete and must be eliminated. Raising its arm, it threw a punch at the Autobots. It was only thanks to its still slow movements that they were able to get out of the way before the blow could smash them to pieces.

 From the safety of the trees, Kevin, Gina and D-Va almost fell off the branches as the punches the golem delivered made the ground shake repeatedly. Jazz tried shooting his photon rifle at its face, but was forced back to avoid getting swatted away from a backhand.

 “Oh man, this is nuts.” Kevin said. He winced when he saw Jazz almost get kicked by Talon’s large foot. “And you guys go through this almost every mission?”

 “Sometimes,” Gina shrugged. She was recording everything on Sky Spy, intending on showing this to Annie later and making the girl jealous at what she missed. “Though, it’s usually a lot more tame than getting attacked by a golem.”

 “You are way too calm about all this.” He pointed out.

 “You’ll get used to it. The near death experiences and loud explosions get a bit stale and routine after a while unless something really bad or strange happens.”

 Talon got faster the more it moved, taking the Autobots’ attacks head on as it dealt out its own series of lumbering attacks that could’ve done serious damage if they were caught in its crosshairs. Eventually, Jazz got tired of playing chicken with the cousin of the Colossus of Rhodes and decided to fight back.

 “This is getting old. Time to kick it up a little!” Jazz said. “Roadstorm, you ready?”

 “No, but you’re gonna force me to do it anyway.” Roadstorm groaned.

 “Now you’re getting it. Link up, little dude!”

 Roadstorm changed forms and powerlinked with Jazz, converting his arm into a triple-barreled cryo-emitter. Firing his grappling hook at Talon’s shoulder, he allowed himself to be pulled forward and flanked the golem, firing condensed blasts of liquid nitrogen at its leg. Liquid nitrogen mixed with thousand year old adamantium equals very brittle metal that shatters on impact. Jazz fired as many blasts as he could before he cut his hook to duck under Talon’s sweeping arm.

 Optimus and Prowl opened fire on Talon’s left leg, actually breaking off chunks of frozen metal, though even when made brittle, adamantium was still strong enough to last several seconds. Just long enough for Talon to swing around and throw at kick in their direction. Prowl took the brunt of the kick to his arm and was sent sprawling, but Optimus dived to the side and fired his ion rifle at Talon’s heel, blasting off a chunk of its calf.

 Unexpectedly, the golem reeled back and stumbled back a step, giving an ear shattering metallic screech akin to a robotic scream as it faltered for a minute. Optimus saw a sort of coolant leaking from the hole near its heel and quickly made the connection.

 “Attack the hell!” Optimus yelled to his team. “That’s its weak point!”

 He unleashed the full power of his ion rifle on Talon’s leg, targeting the heel. Despite its slowed movements, it was still fast enough to move its leg and stomp down on Optimus. Prime rolled away, but was sent flying when Talon batted a boulder at him, slamming right into his chest. Prowl ran behind it, with three throwing stars in his hands. Within seconds he calculated their flight path and waited until Talon was preoccupied with chasing Jazz to throw them at the back of its legs.

 Just as Talon turned its attention to him, Prowl transformed and drove away, activating the detonation sequence in the stars in its legs. Both of Talon’s legs exploded, sheering away the metal in its legs and damaging the vital conduits in its heels that transferred electricity through the circuits in its legs. Blue liquid that evaporated into steam upon contact with open air and Talon groaned as it started losing power.

 Talon’s movements slowed more and more until it could barely move its arms. It fell to its knees and reached out toward Optimus with the intent to crush him, but it couldn’t even manage to lift its arm. Gears grinded to a stop, pistons slowed, and its coolant finally stopped flowing from its circuits. The might Talon was dead, frozen in place like the relic it was.

 With the danger over, Prowl and Jazz joined Optimus in studying the deactivated goliath. Aside from Optimus sporting a few dings from getting hit with the boulder and Prowl covered in sand and dents in his armor, they were all okay and functional.

 “That was a doozey.” Jazz breathed, looking up at Talon. Even when deactivated, the machine still looked intimidating. “You guys okay? You both took some nasty hits.”

 “We’re fine, Jazz.” Prowl winced as he prodded the aching dent on his leg. “Just a bit banged up, but we can still go on.”

 “Just don’t push yourselves too hard.” Jazz said. “We have no idea what else we’re gonna run into on this mission.”

 “Duly noted.” Optimus said, warily looking at Talon’s body.

 “Guys!” they looked to the forest where Gina was running out with Kevin and the Minicons. “Guys, we need to move now! I’ve just got a read on the panel’s signal!”

 “No rest for the wicked.” Optimus sighed, holstering his weapons.

XXXXXX

 Hesperides was one of the islands in the Deldaros Ocean near Emmeria. It was a crescent shaped island east of Colchis and like Crete, hard its own small forest of tropical trees and other vegetation, giving way to rocky crags that jutted from the sea at the heart of the island.

 The three Con team trudged their way through the tall palm trees in their exploration of the island. They had no idea what exactly they were looking for aside from a human ship that may have sunken on any of the three islands. The lack of information was a bit frustrating but it was to be expected when searching for an inactivated Minicon panel.

 “Have you detected anything yet, Search?” Barricade asked.

 “Nope, I got nothing. No anomalies, no signals, just dead air.” Search said. He was in his alt mode with his small radio dish rotating around trying to detect any nearby Minicon frequencies. He had perfect reception, but nothing was coming up on his radar.

 “Great, so our living metal detector is useless. Who could’ve guessed?” Knockout groused.

 “Shut up, Knockout. No one asked for your opinion.” Lugnut said. Knockout gave him an obscene finger gesture and kept walking.

 It didn’t take them long to reach the center of the island. There, they found what looked like a larger version of the hangars the humans used for their talos mecha. Warily, the Cons got closer to the hangars and saw that there were at least four of them, each large enough to rival an aircraft hangar in size and sporting eight compartments in each. And within these compartments was a single golem.

 It was around 28 feet tall, sporting an intricate construction of a humanoid upper body mounted on top of a lion’s body. These golems were called Hoplites. They were ancient mechanical soldiers that made up the mechanized vanguard of ancient Arian forces centered in Elladas and the surrounding states. The bulk of the golems were located in central Emmeria, but this little contingent was here to guard something. What exactly, no one will ever know.

 Knockout gave a little hum in appreciation at their rather snazzy construction and design, stepping closer to study the highly detailed machines. “Crudely made by my standards, but they look rather lavish, don’t you think”

 “Enough fooling around! We must carry on with our mission!” Lugnut growled. Knockout waved him off.

 “Blow it out your exhaust pipe, nuts and bolts. I just want to take a closer look.” He leaned in and gazed at his reflection in the hoplite’s armor, grinning at himself. “My, I look good in bronze, but better in gold.”

“Knockout, let’s go!” Barricade yelled.

 “Stop yelling, I want to-“ Knockout tried to take a piece of armor off to study the golem’s inner workings when its arm shot up and a fist slammed into his face. He fell back as the golem began to twitch and move, its rusty joints groaning and creaking as they began to move for the first time in centuries. Barricade and Lugnut readied their weapons when they saw the other hoplites starting to move, their featureless centurion helmets swerving to target the intruders.

 “Thanks for making our mission livelier, Knockout.” Search said mildly. “How has no one invited you to any parties yet?”

 “Shut it!” Knockout hissed as he ducked under a spear thrown by one of the Hoplites. To his surprise, the spear buried itself almost halfway into a boulder, almost piercing straight through the stone in one shot. “Oh slag.”

 Now all the hoplites were fully mobile, and were making their way towards the Cons with swords and spears out. Lugnut’s back panels slid apart and he fired a volley of missiles at the enemies in his sights. He took out a chunk of the golems, but some avoided the missiles and charged right at him. The hoplites formed a phalanx formation, shields up in front with spears poking through the gaps and advanced on the Cons.

 “How hard is it to destroy these tin cans!” Barricade growled and ran forward, swinging his gyro-blades at full speed.

 His high speed blades glanced off the gold shields and left gouges in the tough metal, but he was left open to the hoplites’ follow up attacks. A spearhead sliced into his shoulder while a shield was slammed into his face, knocking him back. Lugnut ran forward and rammed into the formation, scattering the golems, though two leapt on his back and began stabbing their spears into his shoulders and back. He threw them off and crushed a hoplite’s head in his hands, using the body as a blunt weapon to smash the others apart.

 Knockout was also getting his fair share of body counts as he used his saw to cut apart the larger golems that tried to impale him on their spears. They weren’t terribly powerful, but they were strong enough to make taking on two or more hazardous to their health. He grunted as a hoplite punched his chest and left a large scratch on his chest plate.

 “As if I didn’t have enough to worry about with the damn heat ruining my paint job!” Knockout growled. He turned to Lugnut. “You! Hurry up and power link you stupid brute before we get overrun!”

 Lugnut growled at the insult, but did as he was told. Search ran up and changed into his anti-aircraft truck mode, linking to Lugnut’s arm. The mech’s three clawed hand converted into a round pressure plate with a big red button on top.

 Knockout and Barricade quickly cleared the area as fast as possible to avoid getting caught up in the worst of Lugnut’s highly destructive attack. Once the hoplites were in range, he slammed his fist into the ground. What happened next could’ve been described as a miniature nuke.

 The minute the pressure plate hit the ground, a large gravitational wave shot out from Lugnut’s arm, reverberating through the ground like a sonic boom and slamming into the hoplites with enough blunt force to shatter the ancient machines immediately. They were blasted into the air like toy robots and the ground underneath Lugnut was uprooted by the large explosion that followed.

 Though they were not close to the detonation point, the shockwave from the blast still blew Knockout and Barricade off their feet. The ground trembled and a thick cloud of smoke and debris flew everywhere, destroying almost a mile of forested land. Thankfully for them, it didn’t last very long and within seconds the chaos subsided. When the smoke cleared, Lugnut was standing in the middle of a large crater, which was slowly filling up with water from the nearby lake.

 Knockout got to his feet and dusted himself off, looking at the scattered parts of the hoplites with an impressed look. “Nice job. Though, it’s a bit flashy for a trump card.”

 “You’re one to talk.” Lugnut replied.

 “Stop it. We’ve wasted enough time here with these machines.” Barricade said. “Let’s return to the beach and-“

 “Hold it!” Search separated from Lugnut and activated his radar equipment. “I’m getting something!”

 “Please tell me it’s the Minicon.” Knockout said.

 “It totally is.” Search confirmed. “It’s close by, but it’s not on this island.”

XXXXXX

When the panel finally activated and signaled its location, it was revealed that both teams were wrong about their initial beliefs in where it was located. The Argo, and by extension the Minicon they sought, was located on the central island of Colchis.

 When they learned this, both teams immediately took ground bridges to the island, arriving on Colchis at different areas of the beach, neither knowing that the other was on the same island as them. Whether this was by coincidence or a quirk of fate was to be debated, but at this moment, both sides were nearing their goal.

 “Not again.” Kevin groaned as they encountered yet another golem on the island.

 This wasn’t a humanoid giant like Talon was; it was a mechanical bull made of golden hued adamantium the size of an elephant with horns made of silver and eyes made of rubies. It looked beautifully made, if it wasn’t snorting steam from its nostrils and digging trenches in the sand with its hooves. It didn’t look the slightest bit happy.

 “Another murderous machine. We have a habit of making friends with these things, don’t we?” Jazz quipped. Optimus drew his ion rifle.

 “I agree, we do have a sort of air about us that leads to aggression from others we’ve just met.” Optimus said. He looked at the smaller members of their group. “Tracer, D-Va, take Kevin and Gina to the Argo and get the panel. We don’t have a second to lose if the Decepticons are also on this island.”

 “Aww, but I want to fight with you guys!” Tracer whined. “We can help.”

 Prowl shook his head. “You’ll be helping us by doing your job. Escort the children to the ship and get the panel. We’ll be fine here.” He told her.

 Tracer sighed but nodded. She’ll do it, but only because Prowl told her so.

 As Kevin and Gina ran from the battle with Tracer and D-Va, Optimus turned to the snarling bull that was glaring right at him. He didn’t know if it was because the golem singled him out as a significant threat or if it was due to his bright red armor attracting its attention, but it seemed like it was going to rush him first. He recalled Annie commenting about bulls and red objects, but he didn’t have time to think of such things now.

 “So what’s the plan?” Jazz asked. Prowl pulled our his laser rifle.

 “We hit it hard and fast. Something this big has to have a weakness.” He said.

 “Then let’s find it.” Optimus said.

 The bull snorted and charged. The Autobots fired their weapons, but the adamantium armor took the brunt of the blasts and they jumped aside before it could gore them with its long, curved horns. Optimus narrowed his eyes at the scorch marks on its bronze hide.

 “It’s armor is also made of adamantium. Our weapons won’t do much damage without hitting the same place repeatedly.” He said.

 “How much of that stuff did those people have?” Jazz grunted.

 “Then how do we fight it properly?” Prowl asked.

 “The old fashioned way.”

 The bull spun around and charged again. Instead of shooting it, Optimus pulled out his battle axe and rushed at the bull. As they neared each other, Optimus leapt over the bull’s horns and swung his axe, burying the blade into its head and landed on its back. The golem reared back on its hind legs to shake him off. Jazz and Prowl ran in to aid their leader by shooting at the bull’s legs to upset its center of balance.

 “This is his plan?” Prowl growled. “It’s reckless!”

 “Ironhide would say the same in your position.” Jazz said as he fired a grappling hook at its feet and pulled.

 “How are you so calm about this?” Roadstorm questioned.

 “This isn’t the first time Prime’s had to ride on the back of a rabid animal. Ask him about the time he rode on the back of Deathsaurus in the middle of Altihex.”

 Jazz fired his cryo-blaster at one of its hind legs and the nitrogen instantly froze its calf…only to shatter seconds later. Prowl signal Jazz to grapple its legs again and joined it, shooting grappling hooks at both of its legs and pulled hard. The bull growled and spun its heavy body around, yanking Jazz off his feet and smacking him out of the air with a strong blow from its horns.

 “Jazz!” Prowl winced as Jazz landed on his head and fell on his back in the sand. There was deep tear in his arm where one of the horns had pierced his armor. “Are you alright?”

 “Ow…it’s just a mesh wound, Prowler. I’ll be fine.” Jazz grunted and winced at the sharp pain in his arm. “Mostly…”

 The bull turned to them, Optimus still hanging onto its head trying to steer it away from his friends. It snorted piping hot steam from its nose, but to their surprise, it didn’t try to charge them again. Instead, it opened its mouth and exhaled a huge stream of fire at them across the large distance. Prowl pulled Jazz out of the way, but he still felt the extremely hot flames grazed the door panels on his back.

 “Prowl!” Optimus dug his axe harder into its skull and tried to steer it away, but the bull gave a screech and jumped into the air, falling backwards. Optimus hit the ground with the full weight of the bull pressing down on him and he lost his grip on its horns.

 The bull quickly got back up and made a retreat, running into the forest and igniting a fiery stream to clear its path. Jazz and Prowl ran to Prime’s aid and helped him up.

 “Boss bot, you okay?” Jazz asked. Optimus groaned and rolled onto his knees.

 “I’ll live,” He said, looking up at where the bull had disappeared off to. “But where is the bull going?”

 “I don’t have a clue. That thing was kicking our asses and it just hauled it into the forest.” Jazz replied. Prowl’s eyes widened and he grabbed his gun.

 “The children!” He exclaimed. “It’s after the children!”

XXXXXX

 Gina was happy to be on a quest to search for the long lost Argo, and it was fun following the steps of the original Argonauts, but despite the fun she had, it was nice to finally have a clue to wrap this case up. She had her Sky Spy follow the signal and lead the way for her little group of explorers.

 “We’re getting close, just a few more feet, due north.” Gina said. She noticed that they were going in the same direction the stream coming from the sea was flowing from.

 “Do you think the Bots are okay?” Tracer asked.

 “Of course they’re okay. They’ve been doing this kind of thing long before we were forged.” D-Va said. She note that her partner was very worried about their friends and was a bit curious about that. “Why are you so worried? You’re usually gung ho about fighting Cons by now.”

 “No reason.” Tracer grumbled. She didn’t want D-Va getting a hint that she was mainly concerned about one Autobot in particular instead of the entire team.

 Kevin cut their conversation short as he pointed forward. “Focus up, ladies, we’re almost at the location.”

 Gina pushed aside the thick bushes and led the group into a cove of some kind, not unlike the one where they found Atalanta’s ship, the Cynisca, but it was larger. The large stream flowed from a lake that was connected to the larger ocean, and jagged rocks jutted out from the water and were close enough to make any ship passing through them a pipe dream. There was a small beach and another opening in the cove on the other side that led to the sea surrounding the island.

 And sitting on the rocky spikes was the Argo itself. The once mighty ship was dashed among the rocks as if it was thrown onto them. It was a wreck, the front half of the ship was still impaled on the rocks, its wood half rotten and soggy. The other half had broken off and was partially submerged in the water.

 “That’s a big ship.” Kevin commented.

 “It belonged to a big man.” Gina replied. “Let’s hurry up and get the panel before the Cons come knocking.”

 “And where are we supposed to look?” D-Va asked. She had no idea to look on a ship this old and primitive.

 “If the panel was as important as the fresco made it seem, then it should be stashed along with the crew’s valuables. Namely a chest.” Gina said, already stepping into the water and making her way towards the ship. “Let’s search for a large chest. Anything that looks important.”

 At that moment, the Sky Spy came back from its scouting bit and landed on her shoulder, projecting a recording of Knockout and Barricade walked through the forest.

 “They got here fast.” Tracer commented, taking out her pistols. “You two go on ahead and get the panel. We’ll hold them off.”

 “I’m coming with you.” Kevin said, surprising Gina.

 “What? But I need you here for protection!” She exclaimed. “What if something happens?”

 “Don’t worry, you’ll be alright. Just remember you survival training.” Kevin said.

 “I don’t have any survival training!”

 “Then what do you call all of this?” Kevin retorted before following the Minicons into the forest, hearing Gina yell some very creative curses his way.

XXXXXX

 “I am so sick of this place.” Knockout growled. “As if dealing with those stupid four legged monsters wasn’t bad enough, now we have to deal with a giant bull.”

 “Calm down. Lugnut is taking care of the beast as we speak.” Barricade said.

 Like the Autobots, the Cons also encountered another one of the island’s guardian bulls. After getting thrown around like ragdolls by the bull, Knockout elected to just let Lugnut deal with it while they went off to get the panel. If Lugnut got slagged while fighting the golem, then it was no oil off his axel in the long run.

 Knockout used his saw to cut away a branch in his way and stepped over a fallen tree when he heard someone shout.

 “FIRE!”

 The medic screamed as his entire face was suddenly engulfed in flames. The searing pain caught him off guard and he stumbled back into Barricade as Kevin ran out of his hiding spot, bathing the Con in large bursts of fire that blinded Knockout. They both fell back into a tree, where D-Va was waiting for them.

 D-Va leapt down onto Barricade’s shoulder and began shooting her pistols into the gaps between his armor. Barricade growled and pushed Knockout off before swiping at her. She flipped over his hand and fired a laser bolt into his eye, making him rear back in pain.

 With Barricade currently occupied by D-Va, Kevin and Tracer got to work on attacking Knockout. The Con was on his haunches rubbing at his stinging face that still burned while Kevin ran up to him.

 “You don’t look so good, bro. I thought a pretty boy like you would fancy a good tan.” He teased.

 “Shut your mouth, you little brat!” knockout converted his hand into a drill and leapt at Kevin.

 Kevin jumped to the side as the drill dug into the ground behind him and lashed a fire whip at the side of Knockout’s head. He grunted and flinched back, clutching the side of his head, and he didn’t notice Tracer appear behind him until she opened fire on his shoulder and neck.

 It was a sure fire strategy D-Va cooked up; overwhelm the Cons with fast attacks at vulnerable areas to keep them occupied until Gina secured the panel. Fighting an enemy that was larger than you was less dangerous when you knew where to hit and how hard to hit it, as was the case when fighting giant robots, be they talos or cybertronians. But what they didn’t take into account was the Cons getting over the initial surprise attack and fighting back.

 Barricade slammed his body against a tree trunk, uprooting it with his weight and knocking D-Va off his shoulder. He took out his gyro-blades and swung them at her with the intent to cut her into metal strips. D-Va twisted her body in the air, gritting her teeth as the blades grazed her front and back, spinning around to fire another shot at him. Barricade blocked the laser bolts with one arm and then backhanded her to the ground.

 “Tracer!” Kevin yelled.

 “I know!” She warped out of Knockout’s deadly weapons and propelled herself over to her fallen friend. Kevin kept attacking the two Cons with widespread fire attacks, but he couldn’t do much to hold them off.

 “I think you better run on home back to mommy little boy!” Knockout growled. “Wouldn’t want you getting cut to bloody ribbons!”

 “Jokes on you, because my mom’s dead!” Kevin spat, charging up his power and shooting a large fireball that erupted in the Cons’ faces, forcing them back. The fiery burst swallowed up a tree and lit it aflame in seconds.

 Barricade cursed and swung his spinning blades at Kevin, who was in no position to move in time. But as the blades reached him, he felt his body be pulled back in slow motion and in the blink of an eye he found himself falling on his back next to a dazed D-Va. Barricade’s gyro-blades sliced apart the sandy ground he was just standing in and the mech blinked in confusion.

 “Huh?” Barricade looked around when he didn’t see any familiar bloody gore usually associated with Decepticon/human interaction. “Where did you go?!”

 “What just happened?” Kevin asked. Tracer flashed next to him and knelt down behind the bush.

 “Long story short, love-I’m an outlier who can warp through time for a few seconds. Nothing fancy, just slowing down time for a few seconds before going in real time again. Very handy when you want to get someone out of a jam.” She said smiling.

 Another unspoken advantage was that people who saw her power immediately thought she could teleport across short distances as some short range variant of Skywarp’s power. In truth, she was just slowing down time in short bursts long enough to move to another location, though it was super fast to other people witnessing it. They thought she was teleporting, when she was actually moving too fast to catch her. It was a fun little secret that only D-Va, and now Kevin, knew.

 “Well thanks for the save.” Kevin said and looked at D-Va. “Is she alright?”

 “Yeah, but she’s out of it.” Tracer said, looking her friend over. “I don’t think she’ll be fighting any time soon.

 Kevin looked back at Barricade, who was hacking away at the trees and plants looking for him. “As long as we can keep these guys occupied, Gina still has a chance.”

 “Yeah-wait.” Tracer looked around a bit. “Where’s Doc Knock?”

 Kevin blinked and noticed that Knockout was nowhere in the area. Then he saw large footprints heading straight for the cove. “Oh no…”

XXXXXX

 Gina was not having a good time. With no one else to help her, she had to search the entire front half of the ship, and part of the second deck as well, but found no sign of her quarry. Knowing that she’d have to check the second half that sunk into the lake, she had no other choice but to take a swim for the good of the mission-the only problem was that she couldn’t swim for shit.

 “Jinkies…the things I do for the team.” She whined. Gina took off her glasses and wadded into the water.

 Giving a quick prayer, she ducked into the water and let Sky Spy lead the way into the wreck. She used what little swimming techniques her mother taught her to move through the water, reaching the open hull of the ship where Sky Spy was detecting the signal.

 When the drone tapped her cheek, she forced her eyes open and let them adjust to the water before looking down at the chest lying under the bow of the ship. Hoping she could hold her breath a little long, she swam up to the chest and tried to pull it out of the compartment. It barely budged because it was so heavy. Quickly giving up, she grabbed Sky Spy and pressed a button, firing a tiny cutting laser into the rusty lock.

 ‘Come on, come on!’ She thought, trying to keep her breath in as long as possible. ‘I can’t keep this up much longer.’

 Thankfully, it only took a few seconds to burn through the lock. Once it shattered, Gina lifted the lid and was greeted with the bright glow of the stasis panel. She quickly grabbed it and swam out of the wreck to the surface, emerging from the water with a gasp.

 “I got it!” Gina cheered.

 “Good for you.”

 Gina paled and looked to the beach to see Knockout crouched over her with a grin. “Have a nice swim?”

 “Go to hell!” Gina said. Taking a deep breath, she dived underwater again to avoid Knockout’s hand as it tried to scoop her up.

 “Don’t make this difficult, you little brat.” Knockout grumbled. Where was a life sized fish bowl when you needed one? “I don’t have all day to deal with you-“

 He paused when he felt the ground shake and spun around when the trees behind him were trampled under the charge of the large Colchis Bull that burst from the forest. He didn’t even have time to curse when the bull’s large silver horns gored his shoulder and chest and threw him into the air, tossing him into the shipwreck with a large splash.

 “Jinkies…” Gina gasped. When the bull turned its murderous gaze onto her, she squeaked. “Eep!”

 Luckily for Gina, she had her own share of giant friends on her side as well; Optimus drove out of the forest in truck mode and transformed, leaping onto the bull’s back and digging his axe blade into its neck. Using his mighty strength, Prime carved into the bull’s neck joint and pulled on its horns to tear its head off in a fantastic display of sparks and mech fluid. He jumped off as the headless bovine body fell over, completely dead.

 “That was awesome.” Gina breathed, paddling her way to shore. Optimus jogged over and helped her out.

 “Are you okay, Gina?” He asked.

 “I’m fine now. Just don’t ever expect me to go swimming again.” She panted and held up the panel. “Oh and here’s the panel. Please don’t lose it.”

 Optimus smiled, but it quickly vanished as Barricade exited the forest-with Kevin and the Minicons in hand.

 “Hand over the panel, Prime, or I’ll kill you little pets one by one.” Barricade growled, holding the three in one hand.

 “No.” Gina muttered. She hoped they wouldn’t get caught.

 Optimus was already in the process of forming a plan in his head. He wouldn’t risk the lives of Kevin and the Minicons, but sacrificing the panel was out of the question.

 “I’m waiting, Prime. Give me the panel or they all die.” Barricade said. “Your choice.”

 Then a voice spoke behind him. “How about option three?”

 Barricade’s head exploded in fire as a pulse blast tore into his skull from behind. He fell forward to the ground with a smoking hole in his head, revealing Prowl and Jazz. They gathered Barricade’s former prisoners and regrouped with the others.

 “Lucky we caught up with you.” Jazz said. “Boss bot left us in the dust to catch the bull.”

 “Is everyone alright?” Prowl asked.

 “Aside from almost drowning, we’re fine.” Gina said.

 Tracer helped an awakening D-Va to her feet as she groaned in pain. “Ow. My whole body hurts.”

 “That’s what happens when you get swatted by a Decepticon.” Tracer said. “Don’t worry, Longarm will fix you up.”

 “Yay.”

 Optimus placed Gina on the sand next to Kevin and she plopped onto her back, soaking wet and tired. 

 “You look like you had fun.” Kevin smirked.

 Gina only groaned in response. “I’m never swimming ever again.”

 “Same here. As fun as hanging out with you guys was, I think I’m gonna hold off on hitchhiking on anymore missions. I had no idea how chaotic this was.”

 “Give it some time and you might even be able to see Megatron in person.” Gina said.

 “Not eager for that.” He grumbled.

 Optimus took the panel into his hand and looked at his team. “Let’s go home, Autobots. It’s been a long day.”

 “Amen to that.” Roadstorm sighed.

 “Wait! Before we go, can one of you guys head back into the ship and get the chest I found the panel in?” Gina pleaded.

 Prowl sighed and gave her a look. “Gina…”

 “Please, this ship is a historical find that no one’s discovered yet, and this might be the only time I’ll ever get a chance to be here. I just need the chest and that’s it.” She begged him.

 Prowl looked at Jazz, who shrugged, then at Optimus, who also shrugged. He sighed and silently walked into the water. Gina’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.

 “Thank you, Prowl! Thank you so much!” She gushed.

 “Don’t get used to it.” Prowl said and dived into the water to get the chest. Honestly, the things he did for his comrades.

XXXXXX

Lugnut limped through the forest with Search sitting on his shoulder. He had just finished tearing apart the Colchis Bull after getting the slag kicked out of him for a few minutes. That golem was surprisingly fast for him to handle. His armor was scratched and burnt, and there was a hole in one of his legs where he got impaled by one of its horns. Everything hurt, but the pain mattered little to him now that he was going to finally complete this mission for his master.

 When he reached the location the panel’s signal was located, he was greet with the sorry sight of Knockout fixing a hole in Barricade’s head and the signs of a battle that definitely didn’t go in their favor.

 “What happened? Where’s the Minicon?” Lugnut demanded.

 Knockout paused in welding the wound in Barricade’s head and glared up at him. “What do you think?”

 Needless to say, this was the last time the three went on a mission together.


	16. Home Turf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to check out the official Transformers Titan website, with all new extra features like bios and a glossary. Link is in my profile.

Chapter 15-Home Turf

 Bumblebee stood on a tall hill overlooking the grassy plains that made up the verdant lands of Airlann. Despite having some experience on exploring alien worlds during his tenure as a scout, it was a treat to see something other than cities of burning metal or grey skies coated in smoke. Honestly, Terra was one of the better planets he had been to. It was hard not to fall in love with it.

 Bumblebee and Wheeljack were sent to Airlann with Jolt and Liftor to investigate a possible lead to a Minicon panel in the countryside. It was discovered by chance by Darren and Gina while web surfing. An old tapestry sporting the Micron faction symbol appeared in a museum in Airlann and Bumblebee was quick on the draw to get on this mission with Wheeljack in tow. They weren’t usually a pair, but it was nice to team up like the old days back on Cybertron.

 “This place looks amazing.” Bumblebee smiled. “Hey, Wheeljack! Smell the fresh air of the land of the Celts!”

 “I smell the fresh air, alright.” Wheeljack grumbled. He wasn’t as star struck as his younger partner, not all that interested in the miles of rolling green fields before them. “The last time I went to get some fresh air, I was with Jazz and got knocked out by Starscream. You have no idea how demoralizing it is to be knocked out by that guy.”

 “Relax, Wheeljack, we’re in the clear. We’ve gotten a head start on the Cons.” Bumblebee said. He looked at the Minicon riding on Wheeljack’s shoulder. “You okay there, Liftor?”

 “Y-Yes, I’m doing just fine.” Liftor said tensely. He was looking around nervously as if the Decepticons were going to literally pop out of the ground and snatch him up. “Can we get going now? Being out here in the open is making me antsy.”

 “In a second, Liftor.” The scout said, feeling proud that he could say “little guy” to someone that wasn’t a human. Boy did it feel good to not be the smallest mech on the team anymore. “Jolt, how are things up there?”

 “Area’s clear, Bee.” Jolt said, circling above them in his helicopter mode. “And I see a town up ahead. Should we take a look?”

 “Sure. Maybe we can get some more info from the locals.” Bumblebee said. “But be careful about what you say. Airlann has some surprisingly sensitive people.”

 The team visited the nearby town to see the museum that was holding the tapestry they were investigating. It took twenty minutes trying to find the place on their own, since most of the townspeople weren’t exactly thrilled with seemingly foreigners waltzing around, but Bumblebee and Wheeljack managed to find the museum soon enough.

 They played themselves off as senior archaeologists trying to locate the tomb of a legendary warrior in the area to the museum curator, a kindly old lady who looked like she couldn’t hurt a fly. When Bumblebee mentioned the “jewel” in the tapestry, she was all too happy to inform them of its significance in Airlann folklore.

 “Oh, this tapestry is from the thirteenth century, during what was known as the Ulster Cycle, when Airlann’s largest kingdom was embroiled in a war of succession. The man you see here is the great warrior Cu Chulainn, one of our country’s greatest heroes and kings. He united the warrior clans in an alliance to form a nation under his rule, and continued to repel invasions from other lands for thousands of years. And it was all thanks to this.”

 She pointed to the small green/blue jewel that the red haired warrior held in his hands, which was depicted shining its radiance down on his army, who bowed to him.

 “This jewel was found in Cu Chulainn’s family castle, and has since been passed down from generation to generation.” She continued. “Legends say that those who wielded it could never be defeated in battle and when the last king in the bloodline died following Britannia’s occupation of Airlann, it was buried in the family tomb, along with the spear Gae Bolg.”

 “Where is this tomb?” Wheeljack asked. The curator sighed and shook her head.

 “No one knows for certain. Lots of information was lost during the Britannia invasion, mainly to protect the location of the resting place of kings. A logical conclusion could be that the tomb was located somewhere in or near the family castle.” She said. “Though, there are other places, like a cave of blue crystals.”

 “Blue crystals?” Bumblebee inquired.

 “Yes, crystals that could be found all over Airlann if you know where to look. Geologists and collectors come from all over the world to see them, but after a while, they started to vanish, like they never existed in the first place. In fact, I think I have a shard of my own I found three years ago out in the countryside.”

 She took out a small box and opened it, showing them a worn by clear piece of crystal. Bumblebee and Wheeljack looked closely at it, then at each other. They were both thinking the same thing-energon.

 “Where did you find this?” The scout asked. This might be the lead they were looking for.

 “By the Chulainn castle, a few miles from town. Just drive down the road, you can’t miss it.”

 “Thank you so much for this information, ma’am. You helped us a lot today.” Bumblebee said gratefully and dragged Wheeljack out of the museum, waving back at the old woman.

XXXXXX

 “And you didn’t want to ask around.” Bumblebee laughed. “Told you it’d be worth it.”

 “Shut up, Bee.” Wheeljack grumbled.

 They drove along the lone dirt road that stretched near the very steep cliff side near the sea. The information they had gotten from the curator was very useful for their search. Essentially all they had to do was head to the castle and look for an energon vein in the area. The fact that they were already detecting energon in the area was a sign that they were on the right path.

 “So the humans buried their kings in a cave full of energon?” Jolt asked. “That’s a strange coincidence.”

 “They didn’t exactly know what they were dealing with. Knowing those people, they probably thought it was some kind of magical stone.” Wheeljack said. “And what better way to honor their fallen kings than by making their tomb in a cave full of energon?”

 “So how are we supposed to find this tomb?” Liftor asked. “If the humans couldn’t find it, then what can we do if we don’t even know where to start?”

 “We’re heading to the Ulster Castle to look for energon there. If we find a significant vein, then we can follow it deep underground, where the tomb should be.” Bumblebee said.

 The Autobots continued down the road towards where Jolt sported the large castle in the distance on top of a hill. A good distance behind the group, a black helicopter followed silently behind them at a slow space to remain undetected.

 “Blackout to Nightshade, I’ve spotted the Autobots.” Blackout reported. “Looks like our mole shot straight for once.”

XXXXXX

 The Ulster Castle was just as grand as Bumblebee imagined it would be. As expected from a castle of the 13th century, it was a fortress built near a cliff hanging over the sea that acted as natural protection. There was a deep moat with a river passing through and a drawbridge that connected the castle to the rest of the land, the only way in or out of the castle. The weather was windy and huge gusts of wind washed over the green fields of grass that dominated the landscape. Bumblebee thought it was reminiscent of those old medieval movies that Gina would sometimes watch with the Minicons on Friday nights.

 “The humans certainly knew their stuff when it came to making fortresses.” Jolt appraised.

 “Indeed. During those times of war, the primitive technology at their disposal is, while a bit impractical, was definitely intuitive.” Liftor said.

 Wheeljack checked his scanner and detected numerous energon veins in the area. “Your hunch was definitely on point, Bee. There’s energon here, lots of it. But it’s deep underground, so we wouldn’t have been able to tell unless we were right on top of it.”

 “So all we need to do was follow the largest vein and we’re reach the tomb, right?” Bumblebee asked.

 “That’s right. Though, it’s a big if.” Wheeljack warned him. There was no guarantee it was going to lead to what they were looking for.

 They cautiously drove across the drawbridge and transformed to robot mode once they were in the courtyard. More scans showed that there was energon directly under the castle, and while Wheeljack got to work on locating the largest vein, Jolt and Liftor had separated from their partners to explore the castle.

 “You know, this place is actually kind of neat.” Liftor said, not feeling as paranoid now that he was within large castle walls. “I can only imagine what it was like for these humans to live here. This counted as their military outposts in medieval times.”

 “Hate to have lived in those times. They made their weapons out of metal and wood. Even the Knights of Cybertron could’ve taken them on with only swords and axes.” Jolt said. He climbed the stairs in one of the towers and looked out at the grassy plains on the other side of the moat. “What a view, huh?”

 “Yeah.” Liftor nodded.

They had a perfect view of the area from atop the lookout tower and saw firsthand what the locals and tourists loved so much about this place. Airlann was a land where the old ways were honored, and warrior kings were forever remembered by their descendants. Cybertron was once like that, but now all of it was ash and slag under the dark canvas of stars.

 “Jolt, Liftor, let’s go! We’re heading out!” Bumblebee called out to them.

 “That’s our queue.” Jolt said. “Want a lift?”

 “No, I’ll take the stairs, if that’s all right with you.” Liftor said. He took one last look at the fields to take it into his memory banks, but then he noticed something in the distance. “Hey, what’s that?”

 “What’s what?” Jolt looked at where his friend was looking and saw a black shape in the sky flying right towards the castle. Unease filled him as he magnified his optical vision and saw that it was a black military helicopter. “Oh, scrap.”

 The Decepticon Blackout flew within view of the castle and spotted the Minicons in the watchtower. Locking on with his fast acting targeting systems, he fired two missiles at them and broke contact.

 “Get down!” Jolt pushed Liftor down the stairs just as the missiles hit the tower and blew it up.

 “No!” Wheeljack exclaimed as he saw the tower get blown apart. He covered his face from the raining debris. “Jolt, Liftor!”

 “We’ve got incoming, Wheeljack!” Bumblebee yelled.

 Blackout flew over the courtyard and fired two more missiles at his enemies. Wheeljack pushed Bumblebee aside as the missiles hit the ground behind them. Flames and smoke flew everywhere as a large hole was blown into the ground.

 “We need to get out of here before he brings the entire castle down on us.” Wheeljack said.

 “But what about Jolt and Liftor?” Bumblebee said. “We can’t leave them!”

 The scout curst as another missile hit near them and Wheeljack said, “We won’t be any help to them if we get blown to scrap!”

 Wheeljack and Bumblebee transformed to car mode and drove out of the courtyard, over the moat and out into the open, where Blackout started trying to gun them down with his automated cannons. They made it almost a mile from the castle when they came upon another unwelcome visitor-Nightshade.

 ‘Where did they come from? They couldn’t have known about the panel like us unless it was activated!’ Bumblebee thought. ‘Did they follow us?”

 He changed forms and popped his blaster from his hood to show Nightshade down. Once his optical sensors locked onto her, he opened fire.

 Nightshade easily dodged the laser blasts coming at her, but one bolt grazed her wing. Growling, Nightshade fired a rain of micro-missiles from her wings at the Autobots, peppering the ground with explosions.

 Wheeljack also switched to robot mode and swung his energo-whip at Nightshade. The whip grazed her wing and left a nasty burn as she passed over them. She howled and swerved around to descend on the engineer with her talons outstretched. When he lashed out with his whip again, she transformed and dodged it so that it barely touched her. She kicked him in the chest and knocked him to the ground, drawing her swords to run him though, but was forced back when Bumblebee fired his gun at her.

 “How did you find us?” Wheeljack asked. Nightshade snorted.

 “Like I’m going to tell you, Autobot!” She sneered. “Blackout, torch them!”

 “With pleasure.”

 Blackout flew towards the Autobots and began bombarding them with missile and pulse cannon fire, putting them on the run. They broke apart and swerved to avoid the inferno that threatened to blow them apart, transforming and firing their guns at the missiles to shoot them down. The salty sea air was thick with clouds of smoke and flames that filled the air with loud booms and blinded both the Autobots and Decepticon.

 When the rain of pulse blasts and missiles stopped, they though Blackout was out of ammo, but that wasn’t the case as Nightshade came flying out of the smoke like a black bullet, firing her own sizable payload of missiles. The explosions she set off blew the Autobots back towards the cliff, and their weight caused the rock to crumble with them on it. Nightshade transformed and landed on the edge just in time to see a large splash down below.

 “That takes care of them.” Nightshade said.

 “What about the Minicons in the castle?” Blackout asked. “I don’t think I got one of them.”

 “Leave them, they’ll be dead soon enough. Right now, our top priority is the panel.” She said, shifting into beast mode. “Come, we must go at once.”

 They flew away from the burning fields, sure of their victory as they left the Autobots to their watery graves.

XXXXXX

Liftor’s head was pounding as he regained consciousness. He pushed himself up, pushing the rocks off him while dealing with the headache brought about by a missile exploding right above him. Looking around, he saw that he was lying in a pile of rubble that was once the watchtower on the edge of the courtyard.

 “Bumblebee? Wheeljack?” Liftor called out weakly. “W-Where are they?”

 A soft groan beside him caught his attention and he brushed away some rubble to find Jolt lying on the ground looking worse for wear.

 “Jolt! Primus, are you alright?”

 “Ngh,” Jolt groaned. “Don’t speak so loud. My head hurts.”

 “And so does everything else.” Liftor said. Jolt’s body took the brunt of the explosion, and he looked like he dived headfirst into a raging inferno right on top of a cache of plasma charges. “Can you walk?”

 “I think…with some help.”

 Liftor helped Jolt to his feet and they slowly walked over to the drawbridge, which miraculously survived Blackout’s aerial assault. When they limped out of the castle’s shadow, they saw the Autobots lying on the ground near the cliff, slightly wet and looking a bit haggard.

 “What happened to you guys?” Jolt asked.

 “We fell over a cliff and would’ve been swimming in tumulus waters if Wheeljack didn’t hook us onto the rocks.” Bumblebee said.

 “Didn’t stop the damn tide from nearly washing us off.” Wheeljack grumbled.  

 “Where are the Cons? Please tell me you chased them off.” Liftor whined. He groaned when they shook their heads.

 “They got a head start on us.” Bumblebee answered. “Nightshade probably thought that the mission was worth more than making sure that she snuffed us out. Big mistake.”

 “But how did they know we were here in the first place? It couldn’t have been a coincidence.” Wheeljack pondered. Bumblebee shrugged.

 “We can talk about that later. Right now, we have a panel to find.” The yellow Autobot collapsed into his small vehicle mode and opened his door. “Hop in, Jolt, I’ll give you a ride.”

 “Nah ah, I’m not that wounded.” Jolt jumped up and converted to his helicopter mode. He wobbled a bit, but maintained his stability. “See? All better.”

 “All right then, Autobots-let’s roll out!” Bumblebee hollered and sped away with Wheeljack and Jolt.

 Liftor, who was sitting in Wheeljack’s front seat, shook his said. “I can tell he’s been waiting to say that for a long time.”

XXXXXX

Nightshade and Blackout landed at a large mound in a forest a few miles from where they fought the Autobots. It looked like a large hill, but it was clearly man-made, with a large wooden door at the front. Nightshade bent down a little to inspect it and turned to Blackout.

 “Stay here and keep an eye out for any unwanted visitors. If you see anything that isn’t an animal, kill it.” She ordered.

 “Understood.” Blackout nodded.

 Nightshade converted her hand into a laser blaster and blasted the doors apart. Musty air and dust rushed out to greet her, making her scrunch her face before she went to beast mode and entered the doorway in her smaller form.

 There were a set of stairs that spiraled down into the earth, and Nightshade made to make some tight squeezes to make it through there. The staircase echoed annoyingly with the sound of screeching metal as her folded in wings scraped against the walls and it worsened her mood until she was at the bottom. There, she found a long tunnel that was larger than human scale for a human tomb. Humming at this little detail, she continued down the hall on her bird feet till she reached the doors at the other end, blasting them apart with the mini-guns on her shoulders.

 Behind those doors was a large cavern that was probably big enough to allow Megatron to stand there in his full height. The walls were lined with old Celtic glyphs and markings she didn’t know or care about. Large energon crystals sprouted from the ground, some as tall as she was. Nightshade transformed and walked deeper into the cavern, noting the small compartments that held coffins belonging to the human kings of old. One of them stood out, a large coffin sitting in a sort of shrine with two statues bordering it.

 “Someone must feel important.” Nightshade noted and walked over to it.

 The two statues were golems built in the shape of a man and a woman. The male golem was gold with a round disc shaped head shaped like the sun, with a long staff sporting a golden orb on top. The female golem was made of silver, slender in build and had a round face shaped like the moon, only more feminine, with a large shield depicting the moon on the front and a crescent shaped scythe. They both had ancient Celtic writing on their weapons, which Nightshade translated as Solar and Lunar.

 ‘These must have been placed here to guard over their fallen warrior king.’ Nightshade thought, looking at the coffin that held the body of Cu Chulainn.

 She cautiously stepped forward, wary of them suddenly coming to life and attacking her, just like the golems on Lemnos did Knockout. She reached out with a hand to touch the coffin but leapt back when a golden staff slammed in her way.

 “Of course.” Nightshade growled, jogging back as the golems began to move. Solar and Lunar both stepped down from their pedestals, their stoic faces turning to Nightshade and advancing towards her. Nightshade took out her blades and prepared to fight.

 “Come at me! You two are no match for me!” Nightshade hissed.

 Taking the challenge, Solar raised its staff at her. Nightshade wondered what it was doing, until she saw the orb glow brightly and fired a concentrated beam of light at her. She quickly jumped to the side, but she wasn’t fast enough as the beam shot right past her waist.

XXXXXX

 Blackout stood at the entrance to the tomb without so much as moving a gyro. Like a sentinel, he stood still as a statue, but ready to fight if need be. The other Cons wondered if he was some living shadow, since he was always silent and looming over your shoulder, though they weren’t wrong. Blackout worked best when he hid out of sight and sound, similar to Soundwave, but more combat oriented. He was even more deadly when hiding in plain sight, as those soldiers in Zona Arida learned the hard way.

 His deep red eyes scanned the quiet forest around him, and his audials were attuned to any minute noises that weren’t the surrounding wildlife. Any attack would come from either the front of the sides of the mound, with the rear too big to approach quietly. The only entrance into the tomb was behind him, and he was blocking it.

 A loud noise drew his attention and three laser blasts were fired at him from the trees. Blackout, in a feat of agility uncommon for his size, rolled to the side and fired his arm cannon in the direction of the attack. High velocity rounds strong enough to tear into tank armor ripped through the trees like they were paper and made them collapse to the ground. Blackout kept his weapons ready, scanning the forest. Normally he would’ve transformed and tore this place apart from the air, but he had no room to gain altitude.

 Another blast caught him in the shoulder, making him grunt and he turned around, only for another blast to him the back of his leg. This alternating assault continued for a few minutes before Blackout finally had enough and riddled the trees in front of him with a storm of bullets.

 He didn’t stop until his cannon was on the verge of overheating and automatically shutdown. When he stopped, much of the surrounding trees were little more than splinters and shattered tree trunks. He waited for another attack, but none came. Still, he knew they were out there.

 “What’s the matter, Autobots? Too afraid to face a real warrior out in the open?” Blackout taunted.

 His challenge was answered when Wheeljack jumped onto his back from above and jammed a batch of gyro-inhibitors into his neck. Blackout grunted as his circuits shorted out and his balance centers went haywire, making him fall to his knees as he lost control of his motor functions. Wheeljack jumped off his back and punched him in the face to knock him out.

 “You’re one to walk about fighting in the open, Blackout.” Wheeljack huffed. Bumblebee, powerlinked with Jolt, exited the collection of ruined trees with Liftor.

 “We better move fast, Blackout won’t be out for long.” Bumblebee said.

 “You go on ahead, I can watch over the big guy.” Wheeljack said. Bumblebee nodded.

 “Okay, watch your back.” The scout ran through the doors and edged down the stairs.

 “I should be telling you that!” Wheeljack yelled after him.

XXXXXX

Nightshade clutched the burning hole in her hip as she fired her railgun. Solar easily dodged the attack and fired another beam from its staff, which she barely dodged. Lunar came at her from behind, raising its shield, in which the crystalline veins that formed the moon symbol glowed and fired its own energy wave.

 Nightshade ducked under the beam and winced at the pain in her side. The beam had merely grazed her side, but it burned like it was hit by a heat rod, melting through the outer layer of her armor. She swung her sword to block an attack from Solar and kicked it away to slash at its head, only for Lunar to block the strike.

 This was the sight Bumblebee came upon as he entered the cavern, Nightshade fighting two golems that were putting her through her paces. He looked over at the shrine and saw a large coffin inside, with an inactive Minicon panel placed on top of the lid…right behind the fighting combatants.

 “It’s never easy for me, is it?” He asked himself.

 Careful to stay out of sight, Bumblebee hugged the outer perimeter of the cave, using the large energon crystals for cover. The sounds of Nightshade and Solar fighting got louder as he edged closer to the shrine, and as they were more focused on each other, Bumblebee thought he had a clear shot for the panel when he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.

 Bumblebee spun around and fired his solar accelerator, hitting Lunar, who had sliced into his shoulder, in the shoulder and blasting off its arm, shield and all. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the arm holding the very dangerous weapon. It lashed out with a quick strike that left a deep gash in Bumblebee’s chest and he jumped back to avoid the follow up attack, tripping over a rock and hitting the coffin. The jolt dislodged the panel and sent it tumbling to the ground.

 Nightshade saw the panel glinting in the azure light of the energon as she grappled with Solar. She kicked it away and made a break for it. Bumblebee, who was trying not to lose his head to Lunar, saw her run and aimed his weapon, also seeing Solar do the same.

 It was a split second decision; Shoot Nightshade and get the panel with two golems on his case, or shoot the golem and risk Nightshade snatching the panel up. It took him a brief second to make his choice.

 Taking aim, he fired his solar accelerator and a compacted blast of concentrated solar energy flew over Nightshade’s head and hit Solar in the chest just as it fired a beam from its staff. The beam hit Nightshade in the leg, severely damaging her left leg and making her fall to the ground.

 Bumblebee grunted when he felt Lunar dig its scythe into his shoulder again (and in the exact same place too!) but used this opportunity to grabbed the scythe and pull the golem in closer. He fired four solar blasts into Lunar’s chest at point blank range, nearly blasting its torso apart and destroying it completely. Just when he thought he was in the clear, a heat beam hit him in the side and knocked him over.

 “Bee!” Jolt cried out.

 Solar limped over to Bumblebee and prepared to fire a killing shot, but its chest exploded outwards from a plasma blast…fired by Nightshade. It swayed a bit before falling over in a smoking heap next to its sister unit, its eyes going dark and still.

 Nightshade, tired and in pain, groaned and rolled over onto her back. “I’m sick of these things.”

 Bumblebee crawled over to the panel and snatched it up before stumbling over to Nightshade and pointing his cannon at Nightshade, who stared back at him without fear.

 “Well? What are you waiting for?” She asked. “If you think I’m going to thank you for that save, then you better shoot me now.”

Bumblebee considered shooting her right then and there, knowing that he would deprive the Decepticons of a valuable officer. But he knew he wasn’t that ruthless when it came to her, and he had a feeling she knew too. And he wasn’t stupid enough to end up on Megatron’s slag-list.

 “Nice try, but I know you have your rail gun pointed at me.” He said, lifting his cannon. “The minute I shoot, you’ll blast a hole through my Spark before I can even blink. You’ll never let anyone kill you and live to brag about it.”

 Nightshade smirked. “I see you’re smarter than the average scout.”

 “You don’t hang around Optimus Prime for as long as I do without learning a few things.” He grunted.

 “Amen to that.”

 They kept their weapons pointed at each other before dropping them with tired groans. It wasn’t worth it, they were both tired and hurt from nearly getting decapitated and vaporized by two automatons. Fighting any further would be counterproductive.

 “Get the hell out of here.” Nightshade sighed. “You won, I lost. Scram before I change my mind.”

 Bumblebee didn’t say anything, but he did as he was told, running to the entrance of the tomb. He gave her one last look before leaving the cavern.

 Songbird separated from her mistress and looked at her, taking in her ragged and exhausted appearance.

 “Mistress, why did you let the Autobot leave? We could’ve taken the panel.” Songbird inquired. She wasn’t angry at losing, no she could never be mad at her mistress. But she was curious. The Con could’ve killed someone as insignificant as the scout in a heartbeat.

 “Songbird, I’m seconds away from unconsciousness. It was either fall into a coma to get back at an Autobot scout, or play it safe and make sure you didn’t get roped into my stupidity. I chose the latter.” Nightshade explained.

 Songbird looked at her in silence with her big, round eyes. “Mistress…”

 Nightshade lay back on the ground and sighed. “Now shut up and let your mistress recharge. I could use some peace and quiet on this god forsaken rock.”


	17. Dissection

Chapter 16-Dissection

 “And here we have the storage room.” Annie said as she motioned to the room to her tour group. “Here, the Autobots stash their energon and other important things here. It’s also where Wheeljack works his mojo with the synthetic energon using energy gathered from the solar panels.”

 “Outstanding.” Comettor, a dark blue Minicon with one red arm and a large three pronged claw that was his alt mode’s radio dish, breathed in awe. “I used to be an astrologer before the war and I’ve seen my fair share of Autobot ships in my day, but this is something else.”

 “Glad you like it, because this is going to be your new home for the foreseeable future. And we’ve got plenty of room here, so there’s no need to hold back on being picky.” Gina grinned. She loved playing tour guide for new faces.

 Darren and Gina were given the two new Minicons acquired from the last two missions a tour of the Ark. After Sparkplug gave them a brief summary of the events that led up to that moment (Gina was contemplating making an orientation video for new arrivals to save time, as explaining the same things over and over was getting a bit tedious) the kids were tasked with helping the new Minicons get acclimated to Terra, being natives and all that.

 One of the new arrivals was Comettor of course, a former astrologer from Epistemus who worked in the Minicons’ slightly below average space program and one of the technical minds behind the navigational systems of the Exodus who spawned from the panel found on the Argo. The other was a femme who came from the panel Bumblebee and Wheeljack retrieved from Airlann.

 “No! Don’t touch that!” Darren yelled over a series of clangs and falling objects.

 “Ooh, what’s this? Is it a toy, nya?” An airy female voice asked.

 “No! That’s not a toy, put that down!”

 A loud boom came from one of the rooms, followed by Roll Bar’s angry shout. “Darren, what the hell?!”

 “Sorry, Roll Bar!”

 The femme in question was a hyperactive Minicon named Peppercat; she was bright red with plug-like fingers and extensions on her feet, as well as a plug on the tip of her tail. She had big blue eyes, a grey faceplate and short feline ears to finish off her cat motif, fitting since her alt mode was a cat. The plug extensions on her body weren’t for show-she could channel electricity and it made her incredibly hyperactive and hard to handle, as Darren was learning first hand.

 “Are they going to be alright?” Comettor asked. Gina smiled and patted his shoulder.

 “Yeah, they’ll be fine. Granted, they may be getting an earful from Roll Bar, though. Whatever fell sounded expensive.” Gina pointed to the room at the end of the hall. “Anyway, let me show you where the Command Center is-“

 “That won’t be necessary, Gina.”

 Prowl walked up to them carrying Darren and Peppercat in his hand. Ignoring Peppercat trying to zap his fingers with her plug-claws, Prowl dropped them off next to Gina and Comettor.

 “What’s wrong, Prowl? You look grumpier than usual.” Gina remarked.

 “This tour is over. Take these Minicons back to their quarters, now. They’re not to be let out without an Autobot escort.” Prowl said. Darren and Gina looked at him in shock.

 “Whoa, what’s this about?” Darren said. “Are you putting them under lockdown?”

 “If you want to see it that way, then yes.” Prowl answered.

 “Since when?” Gina frowned.

 “Since just now. Believe me, I’m doing you a favor.”

 “Hmph, I thought you humies said the Autobots were different. This bulk doesn’t look very different from Cons to me, nya.” Peppercat growled. Comettor nodded in agreement.

 “Hold on, Peppercat, Prowl’s just being…himself. You’ll have to excuse him.” Darren said and glared up at the tactician. “Would you lay off, Prowl! We’re trying to help them!”

 “And I’m trying to maintain security protocols on this ship. Don’t get angry at me for doing my job.”

 “You’re clearly doing this for a reason, Prowl. What happened? Did something come up?” Gina asked.

 “I’m not at liberty to say anything to you, Gina. Now I’m not going to tell you again, take these Minicons back to their quarters or I’ll do it myself.” Prowl said firmly.

 Darren growled and flexed his fingers, telekinetically ripping thin but sharp metal strips from the floor. “Not until you give us answers. And if you think treating them like criminals is going to solve anything, you’re gonna have to go through me!”

 Gina bit her lip and took a step back. Things were definitely going to get ugly if Darren of all people lost his temper, though Prowl made it easy. Thankfully, before the situation could escalate, Optimus appeared down the hall and approached the group.

 “What is going on here?” He demanded, seeing the tense expressions on Darren and Prowl’s faces.

 “Optimus, thank Gaia you’re here,” Gina breathed in relief. “Prowl just showed up out of nowhere trying to lock the Minicons up. Talk some sense into him, please!”

 Optimus looked at Prowl, who didn’t even try to deny the accusations. Looking down at the kids, he said, “Darren, Gina, could you please take our guests back to the rec room for a moment? I’ll be with you shortly.”

 “Sure, Prime.” Darren said, still glaring at Prowl. Gina took his hand and led him and the Minicons down the hall. Comettor and Peppercat gave the Autobots wary glances before following the children.

 Once they were gone, Optimus faced Prowl. “What do you think you’re doing, Prowl? Antagonizing the Minicons is the last thing we should be doing.”

 “I was simply making sure that they didn’t wander into places where they had no business being in.” Prowl said calmly.

 “On what grounds are you taking this action? What have they done to warrant such treatment?” Optimus asked. 

 Prowl looked around the hall before leaning in. “I wasn’t going to say anything until I had enough evidence, but since you’re so eager to know, I’ll tell you. I think we have a spy on the Ark.”

 Optimus’ eyes widened. “A spy?”

 “Yes, one of the Minicons. Haven’t you noticed that the Cons seem to know more than they should about our missions? Like how they seem to always be near us whenever we mobilize for a panel? Starscream and Lugnut’s teams appearing on the Agean Islands despite not having the clues we were going on until we reached Colchis and a kill team ambushing Bumblebee and Wheeljack in Airlann.” Prowl explained. “Don’t you think it’s strange that the Cons were there before we’re even there in the first place?”

 “You think that one of the Minicons we have on the Ark might be feeding them information.” Optimus said. Prowl nodded.

 “Yes. I’m sorry for causing a scene, but I had to put my foot down and stop the children from showing potential spies the interior of the Ark. If such a secret agent crippled our ship, then we might as well roll over and let Megatron trample us under his treads.”

 Optimus crossed his arms and sighed. Prowl wasn’t too far off in his assumptions; he, too, had suspicions as to how the Decepticons were getting the drop on them nearly every time they went out to get a Minicon. But Prowl’s aggressive stance on the matter was doing more harm than good.

 “Prowl, I understand your concerns, but treating the Minicons like prisoners will only further alienate them. They’re already distrust us because of the way they were treated in the past, let’s not give them a reason to take action against us.” Optimus looked at Prowl intently. “Let’s keep this information between us, but avoid taking action until we can pinpoint our mole. Preemptive action will chase our quarry away and lead to casualties down the line, most assuredly Minicons and humans.”

 “Understood, sir.” Prowl said briskly. Optimus nodded and walked over to the rec room to settle things with the new Minicons.

 Perhaps Prowl was acting a bit aggressive, that much the tactician was willing to admit, but it was for the good of the team and their mission. Unlike the others, he had not forgotten that their job was to defeat the Decepticons before they could gain a proper foothold on their planet they all had grown so attached to. And they couldn’t do that if the very people they’re trying to help were also undermining their efforts from the inside.

 As he walked back to the Ark’s information center, he vowed to keep a closer eye on the Minicons. Learning of Sparkplug’s hand in developing Minicon combiner technology using stolen data, it was clear that they were keeping secrets, and that made him uneasy. As an Autobot, Prowl knew that his duty lied first and foremost with winning this war one battle at a time.

 It was clear that the Minicons were a rogue element that must be dealt with accordingly, and could become a problem if they went unchecked. Prime might question his methods, but even an idealist like him understood that some things had to be done for the greater good.

XXXXXX

 The Chanka Peninsula in eastern Yuktobania was once a thriving region home to a small town near a military complex. It was once populated by about 2,300 people, not including the military garrison posted near the town, but the eruption of the nearby volcano coated the area in a thick cloud of ash that was hazardous enough to cause lung problems and uproot the residents from their homes. After only two years it was still abandoned and now the place was coated in ash and hasn’t seen the sun since the volcano first erupted. There wasn’t even any animal life roaming around…though extraterrestrial life was another matter entirely.

 Two giants did battle in the apartment complex; one was the green Autobot Bulkhead and the other was the Decepticon loyalist Lugnut. Both mechs were drawn there by an energon signal that popped up without warning and they ran into each other by chance. Things escalated from there.

 Loud metallic clangs sprang from the constant clashing of a super strong wrecking ball and a hard magnetic mace as the two enemies threw powerful blows at each other. Lugnut dodged a hit from Bulkhead and slammed his mace into the Autobot’s head, throwing him into a building.

 “I will enjoy tearing off your head and offering it to Lord Megatron as a trophy.” Lugnut growled, his red eye gleaming.

 “Don’t you ever shut up?” Bulkhead grunted. Lugnut chuckled.

 “No more than you pet human that you drag around so much. Maybe I will let you go and hunt her down to offer to my master as a present.”

 “Don’t you dare!” Bulkhead roared and rushed at Lugnut. He threw his wrecking ball at Lugnut, but the Con spun around his arm and slammed his mace into his chin, knocking him off his feet and onto his back from the powerful blow. Bulkhead crashed to the ground dazed and Lugnut stood over him.

 “Maybe I should stick with your head. Lord Megatron is not too picky these days.”

 Lugnut raised his mace to smash Bulkhead’s skull in, but the sound of a cannon firing made him pause. Something hit his chest and his body was assaulted by a powerful electrical jolt that froze his motor functions and knocked him over. On the verge of unconsciousness, Lugnut fell to the ground just opposite of Bulkhead.

 Three stealth helicopters flew over the downed mechs and landed not too far from them. soldiers in black body armor exited the choppers and surrounded the bots with their weapons trained on them. those scramblers were designed to take out talos with strong EMP jolts to knock out their systems and these were modified to disable cybertronians. They were state of the art, but one could never be too careful.

 Out of the last helicopter to land came Aries, zodiac general of OZ, who walked over to the two mechs with his three-eyed gaze on their large forms. Those new toys Pisces gave him worked wonders on their first try. He’d have to thank the four-eyed bastard when he got the chance.

 “That went well.” Aries commented. One of the soldiers approached him.

 “Sir, we only have enough resources to transport one of them.” He reported.

 Aries didn’t take long to make his decision. “Take the victor.”

XXXXXX

 Later that afternoon, Bulkhead was in the medibay with Ratchet working on fixing his damaged shoulder with an arc welder to close his small wounds. Aside from a few dents and a head-splitting headache, he was mostly okay. During this, he was being grilled by Optimus, with Annie and Bumblebee watching.

 “Engaging the enemy on your own was foolish, Bulkhead.” Optimus scolded. “You know the rules of mobilization on this ship.”

 “It’s not my fault, Lugnut started it. He blindsided me.” Bulkhead huffed. Ratchet whacked him on the head to get him to stay still.

 “Well, I certainly don’t feel sorry for what’s left of the other guy. Right, Bulk?” Annie smiled. Bulkhead looked down at his hands sheepishly, making her frown. “Wait, you mean you didn’t torch him?”

 “No, I thought one of you did.” He said, looking at the others. “When I came to, he was long gone, though I did see an imprint of his body. I…remember hearing a chopper. Bee, did you and Jolt…?”

 “Sorry, Bulkhead, but we were nowhere near your position.” Bumblebee said.

 Prowl entered the medibay with a grim expression on his usually dour face. “I think I have an idea as to what happened to Lugnut.”

XXXXXX

 Nightshade and Starscream entered the command center of the field base on Decepticon Island to speak with Megatron. Both Cons, while not very fond of each other, were deadly seriously as they approached their leader with a pressing matter.

 “Megatron, we have a problem.” Nightshade said. “Lugnut has gone missing. We lost track of his signal in Yuktobania.”

 “Autobots?” Megatron inquired. Starscream shook his head.

 “According to the eye witness accounts of Lugnut’s partner Search, Lugnut was captured by humans while fighting the Autobot Bulkhead.” He said.

 “If this is true, then we need to take immediate action.” Nightshade said. Megatron didn’t look very concerned by the news.

 “Your point?”

 “My lord, the only humans who know of our presence on this planet are the same group that ambushed the Autobots in Azteca. We must mobilize to rescue our comrade from those vile humans and wipe them out to ensure our operation remains secret.” Starscream suggested grandiosely. “I can lead an air strike on the last known location of Lugnut and scout the area top to bottom.”

 It was a decent plan, but no one Megatron entertained.

 “Lugnut is on his own.” He said coldly. Nightshade and Starscream stared him in shock. “If Lugnut was bested by those weaker than him, smaller than him, then he deserves whatever fate awaits him. A Decepticon beaten by organics who haven’t even mastered space travel has no place in my ranks.”

 “But, Megatron, Lugnut is a key member of our team! These humans alone pose a threat to our continued operations on this planet and could…”

 Seeing Megatron’s temper rise, Starscream took Nightshade by the arm and led her to the doors. “We understand, Lord Megatron. Your wisdom reigns supreme.”

 They left the room and Nightshade angrily threw Starscream off her, marching down the hall with a scowl. Pride or not, Nightshade wasn’t going to let this insult to their kind go unpunished.

XXXXXX

 Lugnut awoke with a groan, still feeling the effects of the EMP on his systems. The first thing he saw were the dim lights of some dark tunnel, and when he tried to sit up, he found his arms and legs restrained with large metal bolts holding him down to a metal slab. Ignoring the large drills and saws positioned over his body, he struggled to free himself but found no progress in that regard.

 “What is this? Release me right now!” He shouted.

 A door slid open and three humans walked out onto the catwalk at the foot of the metal slab. One of them, obviously a commander, was a well built man in a bodysuit and sporting three eyes who kept his gaze locked onto Lugnut as he stood in front of the computer with his armed guards.

 “Awake, I see. Good, this wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun if you were sleeping.” He said calmly. “And don’t bother struggling. Those cuffs are made of adamantium, the strongest metal on Terra. You won’t get free without some kind of leverage.”

 “Filthy fleshlings! Who do you think you are to attack a proud warrior of Lord Megatron?” Lugnut growled.

 “We are OZ. And I am Aries.” Aries replied firmly, his eyes narrowing. “And you, my dear Decepticon, are our honored guest.”

 Lugnut was already fuming at the thought of these worthless humans capturing him, and having this freak talk to him like he was superior only made him angrier. He would’ve loved to see how brave these humans would be if he was free!

 “You damn fool! Lord Megatron will never pay a ransom!” Lugnut said. His comment made Aries laugh.

 “Oh, we don’t want a ransom. We want you.” Aries leaned in. “All of you.”

 Lugnut’s eye widened at the implication. These humans were going to tear him apart!

XXXXXX

 Prowl brought Optimus, Bulkhead, Ratchet and Anne to the Command Center, where there was a map of eastern Yuktobania on the monitor with Bulkhead’s last location highlighted.

 “I’ve had Teletran-1 run global satellite coverage for any unusual human activity since our last encounter with OZ.” Prowl said. “And lately, I’ve noticed that most of their operations occur outside the country, overseas, though it’s been a bit difficult.”

 “You’ve been monitoring OZ without telling us?” Ratchet frowned.

 “After running into them, I wasn’t taking any chances. They’re a foreign element that poses a threat to our existence on Terra and we know next to nothing about them.” Prowl explained, not the least bit concerned with the growing animosity he was getting from his comrades for keeping this secret. As far as he was concerned, he was doing his job, nothing more, nothing less. “So I took the liberty of looking into them, keeping an eye out to avoid getting caught off guard like last time.”

 “You should’ve told us about this, Prowl.” Optimus said.

 “I know. I was just taking the initiative.” He replied. “Now, the place where Bulkhead was investigating that energon signal was in eastern Yuktobania, where Lugnut just happened to be as well. Knowing OZ, it’d be logical to assume that OZ was sighted there because you two were in the area.”

 “They must have tracked one of us there.” Bulkhead noted.

 “And that energon signal was probably a decoy to lure us out there.” Ratchet said. That was a troubling thought.

 “But what would they want with Lugnut?” Annie asked.

 “Who cares? They can keep him.” Ratchet huffed. Bulkhead laughed and slammed his fists together.

 “Ha! Big, bad Lugnut getting carried off by humans. That’s a funny thought.” He said and looked at Annie. “Guess I softened him up for them, huh?”

 Annie didn’t look as enthusiastic about it as Bulkhead hoped. She was still a bit disappointed that her big green friend didn’t win against a Con whose brain was switched with his T-cog.

 Optimus looked at the map with a firm gaze and looked at Ratchet. “Ratchet, open the ground bridge to the previous coordinates. We’re rescuing Lugnut.”

 “SAY WHAT?!” Everyone exclaimed.

 “Optimus you can’t be serious.” Ratchet protested.

 “Yeah, those goons can melt him down for all I care. Why should we rescue one of Megatron’s lackies?” Bulkhead growled.

 “Bulkhead, sometimes, we must rise above ourselves for the greater good. We can’t let out personal feelings cloud our judgment.” Optimus said wisely. Bulkhead made an aggravated noise.

 “What the hell does that mean? You think Lugnut’s gonna go soft on us and join the cause just because we saved his ass?” Bulkhead said.

 “By greater good, I mean humankind.” Optimus said, not perturbed by Bulkhead’s attitude. “OZ presents a clear and present danger to both humans and cybertronians, no matter the faction.”

 “Prime’s right. OZ is obsessed with ruling the world through advanced technology.” Prowl said.

 “Which means that we cannot let them have cybertronian biology to their arsenal.” Optimus looked at the map grimly. “I can only hope that we make it there in time.”

XXXXXX

 Aries walked down a small staircase and up to the metal slab that was lowered to the ground so he could stare Lugnut in the eye.

 “Full disclosure, we’re going to rip you apart, break you down, if you will. And we will use whatever we learn to create a new generation of weaponry.” Aries explained in disturbing detail. “Sadly, you will not survive the procedure. But we will remember your contribution and bury what’s left of you with the highest honors”

 Lugnut struggled violent, wanting to tear the man in two. He was a proud Decepticon warrior! He was not going to show weakness in the eyes of his enemies, much less these filthy organic heathens! “When I get out of here, I will make sure that your slaves will have to scrape you off the floor!”

 Aries wasn’t fazed by the threat, if anything he welcomed the hostility. It made breaking him all the more enjoyable. “Since you evidently aren’t squeamish, I will allow you to watch. Are his pain receptors disabled?”

 “No sir.” One of the soldiers answered. Aries grinned and leaned in close so that he was staring Lugnut right into his crimson eye.

 “Good. I want to hear him scream.” He said. “Open him up.”

 He stepped back as the drills and saw over Lugnut’s body were switched on and began to descend on him. Finally Lugnut’s bravado began to drain away and he struggled once more in vain. The noise of the drill as it neared his head grew louder the closer it got. It soon became deafening and he couldn’t hear anything else…which was fortunate for him, as he could not hear his own screams as the drill gored into his head.

XXXXXX

 The Autobots were assembled in the shuttle bay by the ground bridge preparing to embark on their rescue mission to Yuktobania. Optimus had brought Arcee and Jazz along for their stealth tactics and Ratchet was coming along as well, while Bulkhead hung back, not thrilled at all about rescuing Lugnut.

 “Come on, Bulk! You can’t just bow out of this.” Annie whined.

 “I’m not going.” Bulkhead said stubbornly. When Optimus walked up to them, Bulkhead shook his head. “I’m sorry, Optimus, but I just can’t do it. He’s not worth the trouble.”

 “I respect your decision, Bulkhead.” Prime said, surprising Annie and Bulkhead.

 “Say what?” Annie blinked.

 “Given your past with Lugnut, your judgment will be clouded by your emotions.” Prime explained. “And Lugnut may be in need of a medic, instead of a warrior.”

 Bulkhead glared at Prime’s back as he and the others entered the ground bridge and vanished. He sighed and looked down at Annie, who also didn’t look happy for different reasons.

 “So…creature double feature?” He asked hesitantly. “Your favorite is coming on tonight.”

 “Yeah, sure…whatever.” She said and walked away.

 Bulkhead watched her go and groaned. No matter what he did, he just couldn’t win.

XXXXXX

 The ground bridge appeared in the front yard of the apartment complex where Bulkhead and Lugnut battled earlier that day. Optimus, Arcee and Jazz exited the portal first, scanning the area with their weapons charged before allowing Ratchet to follow them.

 “Clear.” Arcee said. At least it wasn’t a repeat of last time. “Where do we start?”

 Jazz looked down and saw a pair of tire tracks leading away from the complex. “I found tracks.”

 “Forget the tracks, Jazz.” Ratchet lifted his scanner in the opposite direction. “I’m picking up a signal, north by northwest.”

 The others looked confused. They shouldn’t be able to pick up Decepticon signals unless they were right next to them. Arcee pointed that out. “But we shouldn’t be able to get his signal.” Her face turned grim when she made a realization. “Unless…”

 “Unless his energon’s been spilled.” Ratchet finished.

XXXXXX

Grindor was taking a cat nap on the table while the old black and white monster move Dinolizard vs Godira blared on the large flat screen monitor in the rec room. Behind him, Bulkhead and Annie sat in an uncomfortable silence. Seeking to shatter this unholy silence, Bulkhead tried to break the tension.

 “So…what’s up? You’re missing the smackdown!” He grinned. “Giant lizard vs flying dragon, the best mega-monster match ups!”

 “No, you’re missing the smackdown!” Annie yelled at him. She stood up and glared at him. “Lugnut is your archenemy, not Optimus’ and certainly not OZ’s.”

 Bulkhead sighed and shook his head. “Annie, you don’t understand. Lugnut and I go way back. He was part of the militia of Nova Cronum-we were drinking buddies who started bar fights for fun. One night we trading blows over a couple of drinks, the next he’s torching the city in Megatron’s name. You don’t know the things he’s done for bucket head. I’m sorry, but I’m not saving him.”

 Annie scrunched up her nose in distaste. “I don’t want you to bromance him, Bulk. I want you to beat him!”

 “Huh?” Bulkhead said puzzled. Rolling her eyes, she decided to spell it out for him.

 “Look, chances are that he’s at the mercy of those supervillain rejects and he’s defenseless. Which means that you can walk right up to him, smash his skull in, and be on your merry way.”

 Bulkhead had to keep himself from gulping at the intense look in Annie’s vibrant green eyes. He was sure if she had Mjolnir with her, she would’ve done the deed herself.

 “No rematch, no mercy, no prisoners. Only trophies.” Annie said. “Are you ready to prove who’s the better mech?”

 Bulkhead weighed his options. He would be going against Prime’s orders, but it would be useful in the long run to deprive Megatron of one of his strongest warriors. Sooner or later, someone was going to get slagged in this pocket war-better it be Lugnut than him or any of his friends.

 “All right, I’ll do it.”

 Annie smirked. “Then let’s get you into the ring, shall we?”

XXXXXX

 Ratchet led the team through the complex to where the signal was coming from. The trail brought them to a large church with the statue of an angel in the front yard. Jazz and Arcee took point to check for traps or hiding enemies. When they saw it was clear, they motioned Optimus and Ratchet to move in.

 “The signal’s close by.” He said. “And it’s coming from…here.”

 He pointed to the angel statue. The team moved closer, looking for anything out of the ordinary and to their surprise and horror, the source of the signal was more ghoulish than they thought.

 Sitting at the foot of the statue was a round silver object with a red iris and a couple of severed cords connected to it. The Autobots immediately knew what this was, and they did not like the implications of what it meant for the Con they intended to rescue.

 “It’s Lugnut’s eye.” Ratchet gasped.

 Back at the apartment complex, Bulkhead jumped out of the ground bridge he took in secret and scanned the area. As the bridge vanished, he looked around for any sign of Optimus and the others before he heard the sound of a car engine nearby. He quickly took cover behind a building as a jeep drove through the yard and towards the edge of the complex. The Autobot watched it go with narrowed eyes.

 “Found you.” Bulkhead growled.

 At the church, Ratchet calmly picked up the eye in his hand and attached the nerve circuits to his scanner and began typing in some commands.

 “What are you doing?” Arcee asked, a bit creeped out by Ratchet’s calmness during all this.

 “I’m plugging into the optical sensory array. We should be able to get a visual of the last thing Lugnut saw.” Ratchet answered. After a few seconds, the optic glowed and the scanner began displaying a video recording.

 “Wow, that’s…that’s weird, doc.” Bumblebee said. The things people could do with weird science.

 The video lasted only a couple of seconds, and they all watched as a spinning drill neared the screen before sparks started flying and the feed ended abruptly. Arcee gasped.

 “Primus, he was awake when they tore his eye out?” She scowled. How sick were these people?

 Suddenly the screen went dark before cutting to another recording, only this was in real time. Aries appeared on the screen, and in the background was a screaming Lugnut. Aries turned around and smiled at them.

 “Optimus Prime. How good it is to set eyes no you again.” Aries greeted him. Optimus narrowed his eyes.

 “He’s converted the optic into a two way feed.” Ratchet said.

 “It’s nice to finally see you and your comrades again. As you can see Lugnut can’t speak to you at the moment, he’s a bit preoccupied.” Aries said, looking back at Lugnut. “But our study of him is revealing quite a bit about your biomechanics. Fascinating creatures, you are.”

 “You sick, twisted bastard!” Arcee hissed.

 “Now, that’s no way for a lady to speak. Though I am glad to see all of you here, I was expecting someone else to come knocking. Namely, Megatron.”

 “In this situation, Autobots and Decepticons are united against a common foe.” Optimus said.

 “OZ is anything but common!” Aries said firmly, losing his mirth. “As Lugnut is finding out first hand. Speaking of which, I left you a little present I want you to have. Think of it as a gift for all the trouble you gave me in our last encounter.”

 It took Optimus a minute to figure out what that meant before he heard a faint beep coming from under the statue. Looking down through a small grate, he saw that the entire basement level of the church was lined with bombs…with a timer five seconds to detonation.

 “Autobots, evacuate!”

 They transformed and sped away from the church as fast as they could just as the timer hit zero. The entire church exploded in a brilliant plume of flames so powerful that it knocked them off balance and onto their sides. They transformed and rolled to their feet as the ground rumbled and looked back at the burning church.

 “So…where do we find the rest of Lugnut?” Jazz asked.

XXXXXX

 Lugnut’s body was numb with pain. Having lost his single eye, he could not see what was going on, but he could still feel the saws, drills and plasma lasers cutting into his body, tearing off pieces of his armor off and exposing his inner circuitry. The humans were very thorough in their examination of him, and though they hadn’t reached anything vital, it was only a matter of time. All the while, he could break free of these accursed restraints.

 “Lugnut, can you hear me?”

 Lugnut growled weakly, making Aries chuckle.

 “Good to know you’re as hardy as you say you are.” He said. “Though, I can’t say the same for your would-be rescuers.”

 “D-Decepticons don’t break that easily!” Lugnut snarled.

 “You misunderstand. Your rescuers aren’t Decepticons, they’re Autobots. Led by Prime himself.”

 Lugnut was puzzled. “No Autobot would risk their lives for a Decepticon.”

 Aries shrugged. “It doesn’t matter at this point, since they’re in more pieces than you right now.”

 A loud metallic bang echoing in the tunnel made everything grind to a halt. Aries raised an eyebrow as he heard more bangs and turned to one of his men, who immediately brought up security footage from the camera at the entrance.

 A squad of soldiers assembled in front f the tunnel doors and pointed their weapons at it. The large metal doors designed to take tank shells head on were already deformed from whatever powerful force was hitting it from the other side. The soldiers steeled themselves for the difficult fight they were going to have on their hands.

 Suddenly the doors burst open and Bulkhead came smashing through them like a battering ram, knocking them off their hinges. The soldiers opened fire, but Bulkhead ignored the storm of bullets assaulting them as he waved his wrecking ball menacingly at them, slamming it into the ground to make them scatter.

 Aries narrowed his eyes at the footage and snapped his fingers, signaling his men to pack up shop and get ready to move. They were going to need more than just one or two squads to handle this intruder. Looks like he was going to get a chance to fight an Autobot after all. The thought made Aries smirk as he walked away.

 Bulkhead managed to rampage through the barricade and ran down the tunnel. It didn’t have to go far as he saw Lugnut on the slab, looking like a swarm of Scraplets had taken chunks out of him for the past hour. Lugnut heard the heavy footsteps of his nemesis and steeled himself for his inevitable doom. He was not going to die groveling for his life like Starscream!

 “Go ahead, Autobot! Do your worst!” He yelled at Bulkhead. “I will die a warrior’s death in the eyes of my master!”

 Bulkhead raised his weapon, fully intending to smash Lugnut’s head into scrap. But he couldn’t get himself to do the act. Seeing the Con lying there after being almost decapitated took the air from his sails. He could kill him right now, but it wouldn’t feel satisfying at all. It just felt…wrong.

 

 ‘What am I doing?’ Bulkhead thought, gritting his teeth.

 Against his better wishes, he retracted his wrecking ball and pulled off the restraints around Lugnut’s arms and legs, having to pull them out by the bolts, as exerting strength to shatter the adamantium cuffs would take too long, before helping Lugnut to his feet. The Decepticon looked confused as much as Bulkhead was astonished at what he just did.

 “What…what are you doing?” Lugnut asked.

 “Saving your afterburner.” Bulkhead answered. “Any brawling we want to do can be done someplace else without these guys hounding us. Can you walk?”

 “I never run when I can fight!” Lugnut growled. He still had his proximity sensors to help him navigate around objects until help arrived…if help arrived and he got medical assistance.

 Bulkhead sighed. “Just point your guns away from me, okay? Let’s go before they storm us in here.”

 The two large mechs ran back through the tunnel to the entrance, where they were once again attacked by soldiers. Bulkhead swung his wrecking ball into the ground to get them out of his way before leading Lugnut back outside.

 They barely stepped a foot outside when spotlights were shined in their faces and they were assaulted by a storm of bullets fired from turrets mounted on jeaps and attack helicopters shooting at them from above. Lugnut didn’t waste any time in getting his revenge. He opened the missile pods in his back and let the volley loose, firing a barrage of heat seekers that homed in on the trucks and choppers.

 The forces unable to get away in time were completely destroyed, though the ground forces were soon replaced by odd-looking talos that mobilized from secret hangars in the area. They were OZ’s mono-eyed talos units, the Codarls, who sported a more streamlined humanoid construction that most talos in the western hemisphere, with dark green armor and small pointed horns on the tops of their heads. Armed with assault rifles and shoulder mounted machine guns, they were aided by the older Orion talos, silver armored talos with humanoid upper bodies placed on tank treads like the M4 Murphy units. Shoulder mounted autocannons fired armor piercing rounds that could pierce tank armor at a certain distance locked onto the mechs and fired at once.

 Bulkhead ran forward and slammed his wrecking ball into the first talos and converted his other hand into his blaster, blasting off the legs and heads of enemy talos. The enemy units fell back a little to take cover while the mobile units continued driving by the aliens’ feet shooting rockets and machine guns at them. He grunted when a shell hit his knee and fired a blast at the Orion unit that fired the shot, taking it out in one hit.

 Lugnut was not as refined as Bulkhead was in his massacre. He swung his mace at anything close enough, slamming his weapon into the chests of the enemy Codarls and crushing their cockpits from the blunt force alone. Those poor pilots wouldn’t die immediately as they were crushed into a bloody mess. A jeep crashed into his foot and he picked it up, throwing it at a gunship, destroying both in a fiery blaze.

 Bulkhead was done tearing the arms off an Orion talos when he was saw something silver flash in the corner of his eye. Instinctively, he ducked under a sharp blade coming at his head and jumped back from his attacker.

 The talos that attacked him was different from the rest. It was blood red and stood around 7 meters. Its head was fashioned after the helmet of a roman centurion, complete with the vertical fringe that was a lighter shade of red. There was a machine gun on its shoulder that folded onto its back and in its hand was a sword resized to suit the needs of this mecha. This talos was an upgraded version of the Codarl, Aries’ personal command unit.

 In the cockpit, Aries stared at the two mechs through his monitor with an eager grin, his third eye glowing. “I’ve been waiting a long time to fight one of you myself. So I hope that you’re worth the trouble”

 “You will regret your arrogance, human!” Lugnut roared.

 Lugnut charged at Aries with his mace raised high, but the Codarl dodged his downward strike and drew its sword. In one swift move, Aries severed Lugnut’s right arm at the elbow, mace and all, much to Bulkhead’s surprise. Lugnut staggered back, clutching his sparkling stump in pain and shock.

 “No, machine. You’ll regret you arrogance.” Aries said.

 Aries brought out Codarl’s shoulder cannon and unleashed a barrage of HV rounds into Lugnut at close range, focusing on the exposed circuitry. As Lugnut fell to his knees, Aries went in for the kill, but Bulkhead charged into him from the side and knocked him over.

 “Don’t forget about me!”

 “How can I?” Aries replied.

 At the press of a button, a small blade extended from Codarl’s wrist and Aries slashed him arm upwards, narrowly scratching Bulkhead’s chest plate as the green Autobot stumbled back. Bulkhead glanced at the thin cut in his normally dense armor in confusion.

 “Adamantium is the strongest metal on Terra, as I’ve explained to Lugnut. It can cut through anything,” Aries said smugly. “Even cybertronian armor.”

 Bulkhead glared at him, but he was distracted by the other talos open firing on him from behind. More Codarls surrounded them and the remaining gunships began shooting hellfire missiles at Lugnut, who was starting to wear down. Aries ran at Bulkhead and slashed at him, pushing his machine to its limits. Bulkhead jumped back and swung his wrecking ball, but Aries moved his unit back and slashed Bulkhead across his arm.

 Bulkhead backed up into Lugnut, who was struggling to stay on his feet as his wounds started to get to him. “We’re getting overwhelmed. We’re not going to make it at this rate.”

 “Do you have a plan then, Autobot?” Lugnut asked. He lifted an Orion unit and threw it at a Codarl that dared to rush them.

 “I do, but you’re not going to like it.” Bulkhead switched on his comm. “Bulkhead to Optimus, I’m in need of an assist! Rendezvous at my coordinates.”

 Aries watched with glee as the two mechs began to falter under the relentless assault of his Mobile Armor unit. He lost a good deal of men and mecha, but now he had two specimens for study. It was only a matter of time. He thumbed a button on his right joystick and aimed his shoulder cannon at Bulkhead’s head, intending to blow the Autobot away and end this battle for good.

 But just as he was about to press the trigger, one of the gunship’s pilots called him. “ _General!”_

“What is it?” Aries growled, not wanting to be interrupted in his moment of victory.

 “ _We’ve got two bogeys coming in at high speeds. ETA: two seconds.”_

‘Reinforcements-typical.’ Aries thought angrily. He was on the cusp of victory and the gods saw fit to steal it from him in the last minute.

 “All units, disengage and initiate omega protocols.” Aries ordered over the tact net. He glared at Bulkhead and Lugnut. “We’ll meet again, Autobot. Make no mistake about that.”

 Weary and nearly drained, Bulkhead and Lugnut remained strong as the enemy talos, jeeps and helicopters stopped attacking and started to retreat. The crimson Codarl belonging to Aries stared blankly at them before it turned and walked away. Bulkhead gave a relieved sigh and sagged his shoulders.

 “That was close.” He breathed.

 But his relief was cut short when he saw a giant raven and a military helicopter appear above them and changed forms. Bulkhead raised his blaster as Nightshade and Blackout touched down in front of him. At the same time, Optimus and his team made their appearance in vehicle mode, transforming and pointing their weapons at the Cons, prompting Blackout to do the same.

 “You can relax, you fools. I’m not here to fight you.” She said, glaring at them. “I’m here for one of my soldiers.”

 Bulkhead narrowed his eyes, but he stood down and stepped aside to allow Nightshade and Blackout to retrieve Lugnut, lifting him to his feet and helping him along. Before they left, Nightshade gave some parting words to Bulkhead.

 “I’m not above swallowing my pride and showing gratitude to an enemy, Autobot. Thank you for saving Lugnut and risking your life to defend him, no matter what your reasons for doing so may be.” Nightshade said honestly. “But keep in mind that the next time you two meet, you will be enemies.”

 “I’ll be waiting for him.” Bulkhead promised her.

 Nightshade actually gave him a tiny smirk before she and Blackout helped Lugnut out of the battle scarred field. As they left the area, Optimus approached Bulkhead.

 “Engaging the enemy alone was foolish, Bulkhead, and disobeying orders even more so.” Optimus scolded, but his tone softened as he continued. “But you have done the right thing. It takes a lot of strength to save your enemy in their moment of weakness.”

 Bulkhead shrugged, looking at the ground bashfully. “Well, it was nothing. Besides, I can always get a rematch some other day.”

 “Indeed. But before that time, I believe you’re due for a long conversation about following orders.” Optimus said.

 Bulkhead groaned. There was just no winning tonight, was there?

 Deep in the forest outside the empty ghost town, Nightshade and Blackout placed Lugnut against a tree. Nightshade knelt next to him and looked him over, frowning at the wounds he sustained in captivity. Damn those vermin! Even the Autobots weren’t this brutal to their Decepticon prisoners. But what else could she expect from a savage species like humankind?

 “They did a number on you, didn’t they, Lugnut?” She muttered. “Don’t worry, we’ll have Knockut fix you up in no time.”

 “Ugh…l-lady Nightshade?” Lugnut groaned. Nightshade shushed him.

 “Hush now and power down. You’re in safe hands, now.” Nightshade glanced back at Blackout. “Call Soundwave for a ground bridge.”

 “Yes, sir.” Blackout said and got to it.

 Nightshade stood up and looked back at the town. They may have rescued one of their own, but she was not going to let this go. No one, let alone a bunch of humans, were going to get away with insulting Decepticon honor like this! Megatron may not take this threat to their security seriously, but she wasn’t going to make that mistake. She was going to hunt down those savages and tear them limb from limb. A preview for what was going to happen to the rest of mankind!

XXXXXX

 Aries sat in his quarters looking over the data he acquired from the scans and in depth studies on Lugnut’s biology from the dissection. Despite the surprise attack on their facility, they managed to transfer most of the acquired data to a sanitized location with no problems. Schematics of the subject’s vital components and samples of his armor and severed arm were enough to initiate his Project: Chimera, and hopefully get approval from his superior overseas. The project was still in its infant stages thanks to limited information, but he was confident that things would escalate if he acquired another living subject to further his studies.

 Aries smirked; things were already going in his favor. He was still thrilled from his fight against Bulkhead and Lugnut earlier and he never felt so alive. It was only a matter of time before the power of the living machines was OZ’s and they gained the power to change the world into the paradise it was supposed to be.


	18. Fire in the Sky

Chapter 17-Fire in the Sky

 Aquarius gave another curse as she blew into her gloved hands to warm them up. She never did well in cold weather, and Alaska was as cold as it could get without reaching the Arctic.

 Thanks to Aries losing the Decepticon he captured, Aquarius found herself roped into taking an excavation team to one of the coldest places in the western hemisphere looking for some wayward energy source that could’ve been alien in origin. They had been in this winter wonderland for almost two days and had nothing to show for it, and the weather was starting to fray some nerves, namely hers.

 Stomping out of the tent she was working in, Aquarius looked around at the base camp set up around her. OZ soldiers were running around with different tasks, giving quick but sharp salutes as they passed her. Outside the camp, mining talos called Asukas imported from Nippon were hard at work digging up the ground where the signal was coming from, scooping up ice and snow with their large shovel hands and digging through the earth with arm mounted power drills.

 On the other side of camp, were a black airship and three VTOL Hurricane jets sitting near it. The jets were a precaution in case she was attacked by the Decepticons, but they were expensive, and she was only allowed to take a certain number of jets with her on the mission.

 “Aquarius!”

 Aquarius frowned as a handsome young man with auburn hair tied back in a ponytail and clad in a needlessly stylish coat walked up to her with a suave and extremely well practiced smile on his face. Alejandro Corner of Linear Train Industries was a man who was the physical embodiment of rich boy, though he had great ambitions that he hid under the façade of a successful businessman. Personally, Aquarius hated the man, but he had his uses (such as producing almost half of OZ’s Codarl units in secret facilities in Osea alone), unfortunately, so she couldn’t be rid of him yet.

 “I shouldn’t have to tell you to refer to me by my title, Corner. Either you adhere to protocol, or I send you packing down south.” Aquarius said coldly.

 “Aqua-“ Alejandro cleared his throat when he felt the snow around his boots get tighter. “General, please, haven’t I proven myself to you already? I mean, you’d never have been able to do this operation in plain sight without turning the snow red. I just want to be a team player.”

 “Keep in mind, Corner, that no matter how useful you are to OZ, we are not above snuffing you out to make a point.” Aquarius sneered. “Now, what’s the sit rep on the excavation?”

 “Depends on whether the source point is merely buried in the stone or under tons of layers of rock.” Alejandro said. “If it’s the latter, then you better get to work on building an igloo.”

 Aquarius gave him a look that actually made him look a bit sheepish. The only reason he was here slumming it out with her in the snow was because he wanted to see how his new MKII Asuka mining talos operate in non-temperate weather conditions. He may have been a member of OZ from birth, but he was also the CEO of one of the largest talos production companies in the western hemisphere, on part with the legendary Schaft Enterprises and Shinohara Industries in the east. Killing high profile people like him took preparation to cover their tracks and his access to his company’s immense resources kept him from the usual retribution Aquarius dealt on people who made her mad.

 “Well, have your men speed it up. We don’t know how long the talos can operate in these frigid conditions for long.” She commanded.

 “As you wish, your majesty.” Alejandro quipped.

 Before anything could be done, a soldier ran up to Aquarius and saluted her. “General!”

 “What is it, soldier?” She asked.

 “Beta Team in sector 3 has found something…big, sir! I think it might be what we’re looking for.” He reported.

 Aquarius raised a thin, delicate eyebrow and nodded for the soldier to lead her to the dig site. They walked through the overcrowded camp to the second excavation area they were working on, where a group of Asuka talos were gathered around the large hole they dug through snow and frozen earth. When she and Alejandro got to the site, Aquarius looked down and smiled.

 “This is definitely worth waiting for.” Aquarius hummed, very pleased with her progress.

 Unknown to her, a round object hovering high above the camp was recording everything that was going on.

XXXXXX

 Starscream sat slumped in his seat glaring at the computer in front of him. He spent the last hour watching video footage from the drone he had Knockout whip up for him when they first landed on Terra. He sent it out from orbit to investigate the extremely faint energon signal that popped up on their radar thanks to their sat coverage of the Osean continent. Since the signal was so small and miniscule, Megatron didn’t give it a second glance, leaving Starscream free to do his own snooping once he learned that the signal was not energon in nature.

 He was a bit disappointed to see that there were humans digging right on top of the signal, especially the same humans that tried to gut Lugnut, but Starscream figured that he could let them do the hard work for him before swooping in and stealing their quarry. This was the perfect chance to get a possible lead over the warlord, thinking it might be something he could use against him.

 Megatron liked to brag about his invulnerability, but Starscream knew he had a weakness-everyone had a weakness. It was just a matter of finding it, and it was only a matter of time before he found Megatron’s and brought the Decepticon leader to his knees. This little mystery signal in Alaska might be just the thing he was looking for, and these humans were going to help him get it.

 “You find anything yet, Screamer?” Zapmaster’s annoying voice asked him.

 Starscream looked over his shoulder to see his Minicon partner with Thundercracker and Skywarp standing in his doorway, all wearing mocking smirks on their faces. Normally he wouldn’t give a damn about what those two thought, but their constant nagging was getting on his nerves.

 “Perhaps,” Starscream said dryly. “Though I doubt either of you dimwits would understand.”

 “Whoa, where did the hostility come from?” Thundercracker laughed. “We’re just a bit worried. You haven’t been getting that much sleep lately.”

 “Yeah, we know you have beef with Megatron, but give it a rest. You won’t find any weaknesses on him.” Skywarp said.

 “Off course he has a weakness, you fools!” Starscream yelled at them and turned back to his computer. “No one is unbeatable. Not the Primes, not Deadscream, and certainly not Megatron. Everyone has a weakness.”

 “Well, have fun finding it.” Zapmaster said.

 Starscream paid them no attention. Getting aggravated and overheating wasn’t going to do him any good. Watching the footage from his drone for a few more minutes, his dour mood suddenly did an about face immediately and he began to laugh. The smiles on his subordinates’ faces fell as Starscream turned to face them again, this time with his trademark smirk splitting his face.

 “Gentlemen, it seems the humans have found something very useful to our cause.” He said and pointed to the monitor. Thundercracker and Skywarp looked at the recording and their expressions turned from disbelief to shock.

 The humans had found a cybertronian buried in the snow.

XXXXXX

 It was the end of a school day at Heartsgrace Middle School and the young students were eagerly filing out of the building, eager to make good use of their freedom. With it being late fall, the sun was already on the verge of setting and the day was quickly fading away. Only two students were unfortunate enough not to be out enjoying themselves.

 “Ms. Radcliffe,” Mr. Rosenberg sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is the fifth time you’ve failed to turn in your science report. Your grades in this class, as well as others, are not looking very good. What do you think I’m supposed to do here?”

 Annie sucked her teeth, and tried to look innocent as possible. “Maybe…give me a pass?”

 “Do you understand the position you’re in?” He snapped, making her jump. “If you continue to either fail your major projects or hand them in late, you’re in danger of repeating a year! And that means summer school, young lady!”

 Annie bit her lip. Yeah, summer school was very bad. He sighed and gave her an ultimatum.

 “I’m giving you one last chance to turn in your complete report on the effects of drastic temperature change. And to make sure you actually get it done,” He motioned to the other occupant in the room. “Mr. Koss will be doing it with you.”

 “Wait, what?” Both children exclaimed.

 “But why me? I didn’t do anything wrong!” Kevin protested.

 “No, but you’re the only one who hasn’t turned in his report either. So in addition to helping your friend here complete her report, you’ll be turning yours in as well.” Mr. Rosenberg said. “Be glad that the only reason you’re even getting a second chance is because of your family’s situation. I’m being generous.”

 “But…” Annie sighed after her science teacher gave her a look.

 Both children gloomily exited the classroom and walked over to the lockers. Once they were far enough away from the classroom, Annie punched Kevin hard in the shoulder.

 “This is all your fault!” She yelled.

 “How is it my fault?” Kevin asked, rubbing his shoulder. That girl knew how to punch. “You decided to be lazy and not do your report.”

 “And now I’m stuck doing it with you.” She said, grabbed Grindor from her locker. “I’m not even going to use this crap in the future, so why the hell do I have to learn it?”

 “Well…since you want to be a talos pilot, it’s important to know stuff like this. Just in case your machine breaks down or something…like in the Arctic.” Kevin winced. That sounded bad even to him.

 Annie looked at him like he was stupid and stomped down the hall. “I’m going to meet Bulk outside.”

 “Hey, Annie,” Grindor whispered. “What’s wrong?”

 “Nothing. Now shut up and play dead.”

XXXXXX

 Bulkhead exited the ground bridge, where Gina and Bumblebee were manning the controls with Ratchet. It was very quiet, a rarity when Bulkhead and Annie were concerned, and the former was trading glares with Kevin when they vacated the Autobot. When Bulkhead asked what was wrong, Kevin mentioned something about a science report, but Annie told him to shut up and that was the end of that.

 She had been quite chilly to him lately, and he figured that she was still cross with him for not taking her advice on killing Lugnut during his capture by OZ. Bulkhead tried to explain to her why he didn’t do the deed, but she was quite adamant that he wussed out when it came to it. It was a “dog eat dog” world and Lugnut wouldn’t extend the same courtesy to him if their roles were reversed. It honestly surprised him at how bloodthirsty she could be.

 Gina looked down from her spot on the console she was sitting on and whistled at the thick animosity in the air. “Jinkies, what happened this time?”

 “Don’t know, don’t want to know.” Bulkhead said as he left the room.

 “Where’s Darren?” bumblebee asked.

 “Out helping Debbie with some errands.” Annie said, bored. An idea crossed her mind and she looked at Ratchet. “Yo, doc. Do you know how metal reacts when exposed to drastically changing temperatures?”

 “Not now, Annie.” Ratchet said, eyes on the monitor. “Teletran just picked up a faint signal.”

 “Is it a Minicon?” Gina asked. Ratchet shook his head.

 “No, it’s different. I think it’s a cybertronian life signature.” The medic said in astonishment.

 “Another cybertronian? Are you sure?”

 “I recognize the difference between an energon signature and a biosignal. It’s faint, however.” Ratchet answered. “And I don’t know if it’s one of ours or theirs.”

 “I can go check it out.” Bumblebee offered.

 “Count me in, Bee.” Jazz called out, entering the shuttle bay with his usual swagger.

 “Are you sure, Jazz?” Ratchet asked.

 “Of course I’m sure. It’s just a scouting mission. Nothing high risk, yet.” Jazz replied. “Fire up the bridge, doc.”

 Ratchet inputted the coordinates and activated the ground bridge. Jazz and Bumblebee ran into the portal, vanishing from sight within the vortex.

XXXXXX

 Jazz and Bumblebee left the ground bridge in the middle of a snowy forest deep in Alaska. The minute they stepped out into the cold, they were met with frigid gusts of wind and a dark grey sky that did not make them feel warm and cozy. Mechanical they may be, extreme temperatures could affect even their biology, and they had to be careful. They were lucky, had they had to travel to Antarctica in the middle of winter, they would’ve been frozen alive and shutdown faster than frostbite.

 “This place is cold.” Jazz said idly. “Guess Gina wasn’t kidding when she said this place as a regular winter wonderland.”

 “Hate to see what the Arctic is like.” Bumblebee commented.

 “Hopefully we won’t have to.” Jazz said as he took out his scanner. “Let’s get going before our gears freeze on the spot.”

 They walked through the forest, the only sound being the faint echoes of the local wildlife and the crunching of snow beneath their large feet. Bumblebee, while alert for any enemies, made sure to take in as much of the scenery as possible. Snow was practically nonexistent on Cybertron aside from the glacial plains at the poles, and he never got a chance to go beyond Nova Cronum on scouting missions. This was certainly a treat for the eyes.

 Jazz chuckled a bit at the scout’s childlike wanderlust with the terran scenery and looked at the scanner. A second later he stopped and glanced over his shoulder, his smile gone in a flash.

 “Bee, can I ask you something?”

 “You already did,” Bumblebee grinned. “But sure, what’s up?”

 “Did we secure the ground bridge when we got here?” Jazz asked.

 “I think so. Why?”

 “Well…”

 “Annie, I swear to all that’s holy, when we get out of here, I’m smoking your ass!” Kevin’s voice rang behind them.

 “That’s why.” Jazz said.

 They turned around and saw Annie, Kevin and Grindor trudging through the snow. Obviously, given her lack of warm protection, Annie was freezing cold. Kevin, however was more than fine, completely unaffected by the snow despite wearing a sleeveless shirt and jeans. The snow was actually melting around him. Jazz and Bumblebee walked up to them and glared down at the trio disapprovingly.

 “Can you three spare a moment to explain why you’re here?” Jazz asked. Annie had the decency to look sheepish.

 “I may have tripped and fell into the ground bridge before it shutdown.” She said quietly, trying to appeal to them using her innate cute factor, but Kevin’s scoff threw that plan out the window.

 “Please, girl, you jumped ship and pulled me along as your partner in crime. And I don’t even know what the hell Grindor was thinking.” He said, making her shake her fist at him.

 “Grindor, you’re supposed to be protecting her!” Bumblebee said. Grindor shrugged helplessly.

 “Sorry! To be fair, I was supposed to watch over her. Keeping her out of trouble is a task better suited for Bulkhead.”

 Jazz sighed, they didn’t have time for this. “Okay, look. You three can come along, but stay out of sight and don’t make too much noise. If things get hairy, you haul ass it away from us. Understand?”

 “Okey dokey !” Annie chirped.

 Kevin shook his head. “You guys spoil this girl too much.”

XXXXXX

 Starscream’s Seeker squadron flew through the air over the Alaskan wilderness at Mach 2 speed to their intended destination. They had to go there by air instead of taking the ground bridge to avoid alerting Megatron and the others to their clandestine activities, and this meant they were on their own in this operation. Not that Starscream minded-the less Megatron knew, the better.

 “So what’s the plan, Starscream?” Thundercracker asked.

 “What do you think? We hit the humans hard and fast. They won’t know what hit them when we strike them with the fury of a thousand Seekers.” Starscream said haughtily.

 “Um, I’m all for shoving missiles up whatever they call their tailpipes, Starscream,” Skywarp said uncertainly. “But aren’t these the same guys that took down Lugnut? That guy is no slouch in battle, and they managed to take him down.”

 “What Lugnut excels in physically, he lacks mentally. It’s no hard task taking that brute down once you get past his mace. We are different-we are Seekers and we’re more formidable warriors than that dumb hunk of metal.” Starscream said. “Now Seekers-to victory!”

 “We are so dead.” Thundercracker muttered.

XXXXXX

 Aquarius and Alejandro watched intently as the Codarl units slowly towed the large green and red mechanoid out of the hole in the snowy ground. The Codarls stood around twenty feet, and the cybertronian was probably around thirty or thirty-three feet tall and extremely heavy. The snow wasn’t stable enough to hold their weight and it made the extraction process slower than Aquarius wanted it to be. But she was satisfied with her success and it was the win she needed to brag about to Aries.

 “Gentlemen, congratulations are in order!” She said to the assembled soldiers and talos pilots. “What we have here is a discovery that shall be the greatest in human history, rivaling the discovery of the first golems. You should all be proud for your dedication and hard work that brought all this about. With the knowledge and power we will learn from this alien, we will be the greatest power in the world and no First World nation can keep us down. The world is ours!”

 “All hail the Zodiac!” The soldiers chanted in perfect unison.

 Hidden from view just outside the camp site, Jazz, Bumblebee and their little tag alongs were watching the proceedings from behind a hill in the forest.

 “So these are those OZ goons you told me about?” Kevin asked.

 “Yeah-black jumpsuits, unofficial talos, world domination megalomania-it’s all there.” Jazz said. “This…makes the mission a bit more difficult.”

 “So…what’s the plan?” Annie asked. “Do we rush in and hit them hard before they get a chance to bring out their big guns?”

 “No way, Bulkhead tried that and he was almost killed.” Grindor whispered. “And he’s, like, four Bumblebees in one.”

 “You want to rush in and fight all those soldiers with guns and giant robots without so much as a battle plan? Don’t you ever think things through?” Kevin said disappointed in her. Annie threw him a glare.

 “Of course I think things through, and that was my battle plan. It’s totally foolproof.” She said.

 “A foolproof plan made by a fool. That’s a sight.” He snorted.

 “God, you sound just like Darren and his responsibility bull crap. Where’s your sense of adventure?”

 “There’s a difference between bravery and stupidity, Annie.” Kevin replied and sighed, blowing smoke from his mouth. “And I’d rather life to enjoy the adventure in question.”

 “Quiet.” Jazz ordered. He looked around and brought Bumblebee in closer. “Bee, can you sneak in behind those crates?”

 He pointed over to a group of large cargo crates that were settled there by the docking crew from the airship carrying supplies for the soldiers and ammo for the talos. Bumblebee nodded and quietly made his way over to them, silent as a breeze and the soldiers were none the wiser. As the scout made his way to his hiding place, Jazz turned to the children and Minicon.

 “You three, stay here and out of sight. I mean it.” He added, mainly for Annie’s sake. He then jogged over to a group of thick trees near the excavation site opposite the crates.

 “He freaking would have us hang back.” Annie pouted. She spotted Grindor looking at something. “Grindor, what’s up?”

 “That tent over there. I’ve seen Aquarius go in and out of that place. I think that’s where she’s staying.” He said.

 “Yeah, so?” Annie asked.

 “If that’s where she’s staying, then that tent might have some very juicy info for us to use. Like a laptop or something.”

 “Stealing info on the enemy.” Kevin grinned. “That’s a good idea.”

 “Well then, what are we waiting for?” Annie grabbed the boys and pulled them down the hill towards the campsite.

XXXXXX

 Aquarius watched with a satisfied smile as the Codarls loaded the cybertronian onto a flatbed truck and hauled it off towards the airship. One of her guards ran up to her.

 “Sir, we’ve got three NBEs heading straight for us at one ‘clock!”

 “Well it’s about damn time. It was only a matter of time when our activities would draw at least one of them into our net.” Aquarius muttered. “Ready the Mobile Armor teams and fire up the Hurricanes. Blast those trash heaps out of the sky!”

 “Yes, sir!”

 She turned to Alejandro. “You make sure that nothing happens to that body. I don’t want anyone who isn’t part of my team even looking at it. Got it?”

 “Yes ma’am.” Alejandro smirked and walked away to watch over the retrieval efforts.

 Aquarius looked to the side and threw off her coat. There was no way she was going to let those aliens get the better of her like they did Aries!

XXXXXX

 “Target sighted.” Skywarp announced.

 “Good. Target the airships first, don’t let them escape.” Starscream ordered and charged his weapons systems. “Let’s give the humans a show, shall we?”

 The Seeker trio locked on to their targets and fired them into the camp. The entire site erupted into chaos, explosions engulfing large sections of the camp, killing dozens in the first strike and scattering the OZ soldiers. Thundercracker and Skywarp fired missiles at the airships, hitting two of them on point but missing the third, though the explosions had tore apart the airship’s propulsion mechanism, effectively grounding it. The Seekers circled around for another air strike and the Codarls that weren’t caught in the opening assault opened fire on the jets from the ground. As he used his Vulcan guns to take out the ground forces, Thundercracker noticed three fighter craft on their tail.

 “Starscream, we’ve got three bogeys on our tail!” He called out.

 “Wipe them out!” Starscream yelled.

 Three dark blue Hurricane fighter craft were in hot pursuit of the Seekers. Once they locked on to the Cons, they each fired two missiles and broke apart. The Seekers also scattered to avoid the missiles, but one hit Thundercracker in his wing while another hit Starscream’s thrusters.

 “Slag!” Starscream cursed. Seeing two jets flying at him, he transformed and used his damaged thrusters to propel himself back, letting the jets fly past him before firing his arm cannons. He clipped the wing of one Hurricane, causing it to lose its balance and break contact.

 Skywarp teleported above the second jet, switching to robot mode and landing on its wings. He tore one of the wings off and jumped back to throw the wing at the cockpit. It smashed through the bulletproof glass and impaled the pilot through the chest, killing him instantly. The jet lost control and descended to earth, where it crashed in the forest.

 Thundercracker spun in the air so that he was flying at his pursuer upside down. When they neared each other, he righted himself and dropped his cluster bombs seconds before they passed over one another, and the jet was hit by the bombs head on, exploding in a fireball.

 From the ground, Aquarius forced herself not to scream in rage, but her face was morphed into a rather demonic scowl. Those Hurricanes were expensive, as were the rest of the equipment and machines she brought along, and nearly all of them were destroyed. She thought the jets would’ve been a deal breaker fighting against the cybertronians, but apparently she was wrong. So very wrong.

 “Fine then,” Aquarius growled. “Let’s take the battle to our level.”

 Aquarius ran forward and flipped into the air. At her mental command, the snow under her instantly changed into ice and she skated on it with uncanny skill, skating through the inferno of her camp gracefully. Raising her arms, she summoned more snow into the air and liquefied it into water, and fired the huge watery mass skywards.

 The Seekers definitely weren’t expecting that. Starscream and Thundercracker were hit first, hit by large blasts of water that grabbed them and dragged them to the ground. Skywarp was just fast enough to teleport when he saw his comrades get ensnared, but when he reappeared, two watery tendrils stabbed into him from behind, slashing his wings and stabbing through his legs to pull him to the earth.

 One by one, the Seekers crashed to the ground with thunderous impacts, throwing up snow and dirt and crushing trees underneath their immense weight. They converted back to robot mode and were approached by a platoon of Codarls armed with assault rifles and missile launchers.

 ‘Well this mission went from bad to worse really fast.’ Thundercracker thought.

XXXXXX

 Bumblebee cursed himself for thinking that he was home free when making his way towards the airships. Things went to hell the moment the Seekers appeared and started laying waste to the camp. It was total chaos for both sides as the talos tried shooting down the Seekers and got mowed down themselves, and the only bright spot was that the airship holding the stasis locked cybertronian was grounded. 

 “Oh man.” Bumblebee breathed as he saw Aquarius have the snow and ice around her bring the three Seekers to the ground with relative ease. She was an esper, and a very powerful one surrounded by her weapon-water. “Jazz, you seeing this?”

 “I sure am, Bee.” Jazz said grimly. If this woman could do that much damage to the Seekers, she could possibly make short work of them too. “Things keep getting harder by the second.”

 Meanwhile, Kevin, Annie and Grindor were already in Aquarius’ command tent, hard at work in getting any information on OZ. the tent was mostly empty save for a table, a few books, a crate and sleeping bag and a laptop. Grindor immediately got to work on the laptop, scanning for any important files they could use.

 “Hold it, what’s that file there?” Kevin asked, pointing to a file in the corner of the screen.

 Grindor clicked it and a short list popped up. Annie read it over.

 “Alejandro Corner, Wang Liu Mei, Laguna Harvey, James McCullen Destro…” She muttered, her expression falling with each name.

 “Who are these people?” Grindor asked.

 “Some of these guys are big wigs in the talos industry. Others are CEOs of weapons manufacturers and the heads of wealthy families with mainly connections to the military and arms dealers.” Kevin said.

 “Yeah and I recognize that Corner guy. He’s the head of Linear Train Industries. They make talos for the Osean military, really high up the military contractor food chain.” Annie said.

 “I guess this answers where OZ gets most of its tech from.” Kevin hummed.

 Grindor took out a data slug and plugged it into the laptop. It only took a few seconds for the device to copy and download the info before he took it out. Annie heard someone outside the tent.

 “Hide!” She whispered.

 Grindor went to vehicle mode and Annie picked him up as she and Kevin hid behind the large crate. Alejandro walked in, calm as ever despite the fierce battle going on not too far. He looked at the laptop for a moment before shrugging and transferring his files onto a flash drive before turning it off and taking it with him. Once he was gone, Kevin and Annie crawled out when they were sure he was gone.

 “That was close.” Annie said relieved.

 “Let’s get out of here before our luck runs out.” Kevin said.

 They made for the tent flaps, but the moment they stepped outside, they almost ran straight into Aquarius. The general looked down at them in surprise, but that quickly faded into displeasure.

 “Well, well, what do we have here?” She frowned. Black particles oozed from her skin, hissing like black sand and enveloped her body. Anne and Kevin watched with wide eyes as the woman was encased in a black and red armored carapace with a slender face-like mask an curved horns on her head.“I certainly can’t have two brats fooling around in MY tent, now can I?”

 Grindor wasn’t going to wait for her to harm the kids; he leapt out of Annie’s arms, transformed to his natural form and drop kicked Aquarius in the chest. The blow knocked the breath from her and would’ve fractured the chest cavity of a normal human, though she was only winded and sore as she hit the ground. But she was still coherent enough to spin her body on the ground and shaped the snow into ice, which she sent at them.

 Kevin pushed Annie back and punched a burst of flames from his hand that melted the ice. Grindor fired his wrist cannons but Aquarius brought up an ice wall to protect herself. A wave of her arm and the ice wall fired a flurry of spikes at him, one of which impaled him in the shoulder.

 “Grindor!” Annie screamed.

 Her cry was heard by Jazz, who looked over and saw them under attack by the strange woman. Cursing, he ran out of cover and sprinted for them. The soldiers noticed him and fired their rifles at him, but he ignored them as he went for the kids.

 Aquarius saw Jazz coming and thrust her arms forward. The snow under Jazz’s feet froze over and five spikes shot up from the ground. Fortunately, Jazz avoided being skewered and he broke the ice around his feet, firing his blaster at Aquarius. The women back-flipped from the laser bolt and lashed out with a barrage of razor sharp ice dics, which shattered against his armor.

 “We’ve got to move, now!” Grindor grabbed the children and pulled them away from the battle unseen.

XXXXXX

 Bumblebee did his best to remain out of sight as the Seekers fought the talos. Missiles and laser blasts flew everywhere and he had to keep his head low to avoid getting hit by a stray projectile. The Seekers were holding their own, but OZ’s heavy artillery was running them ragged-a rare sight when they were concerned. Jazz was still fighting Aquarius and seemed to be having his own troubles.

 Jazz was a great fighter, he knew that very well. He was practically the poster boy of the Autobot Special Operations group. On top of that, he was a martial arts master and hard mech to keep down in a battle. Seeing him have difficulty fighting a human esper was troubling to say the least.

 Aquarius moved with superhuman speed and agility, leaping and flipping around him with water circling her form, skating on ice formed from the snow under her while also using it to block the laser blasts Jazz fired at her. The Autobot was forced to resort to his laser staff to smash apart the ice she set at him. Like Aries, she was no slouch when it came to fighting, despite being human and having an obvious disadvantage.

 Bumblebee wanted to help Jazz, but he had a job to do, and that was rescue this mysterious cybertronian from whatever cruel fate OZ had in store for him or her. The airship was almost completely empty thanks to the air strike that forced the humans away, so he had no trouble sneaking over to the flatbed truck parked in front of it. As he neared the trailer, Bumblebee blinked in surprise-he knew this person!

 The cybertronian lying on the platform was a green femme with red lines along her torso and limbs. She was large, maybe even larger than Optimus, and had no facial features other than a silver faceplate and red visor. The wings on her back and slender, aerodynamic form was a dead giveaway that she was a flyer and the symbol on her chest was a faded Autobot symbol that had seen better days. This femme was definitely a friend!

 Bumblebee heard of her during his tenure as an Autobot cadet training under the Throttlebots. She was a former Seeker who was one of the few who defected to join the Autobots after Starscream made the decision to join the Seekers to the Decepticons. She was the great explorer and all around lovers’ girl…Skyfire!

 “Time to wake up from your beauty sleep, Snow White.” Bumblebee said, thinking back on some old fairy tales Gina would regale him with in his off time.

 He reached into his chest compartment and took out three vials of high grade energon. They were emergency rations given to all Autobots operating on alien worlds, and were only to be used when cut off from the team in an unfamiliar environment with no access to sources of energon. Each vial of energon was able to last a mechanoid a few months under non-stressful conditions like battle or were wounded. Bumblebee hoped that all three vials at once would be enough to bring the femme out of stasis lock.

 Hoping for the best, he injected the energon into the back of Skyfire’s neck and waited for her systems to process the life giving liquid. It took a few minutes, but Skyfire’s systems rebooted one by one, and when her motor functions began coming to life, she started to move. Her optics came online and the first thing she saw was Bumblebee’s face hovering over her.

 “Huh…w-what…?” Skyfire groaned. Her voice held a notable accent, one that sounded oddly Australian. Her red visor glowed at she fully awakened and she gingerly sat up on the straining platform.

“Did…anyone get the name of the Dibison that hit me?” She grumbled, rubbing her head and wincing at the creaking in her joints. Then she finally noticed Bumblebee standing next to her. “Bee? Is that you?”

 “Yeah, it’s me, Skyfire.” Bumblebee smiled. The green femme gave a laugh and clapped him on the back.

 “Ha! I knew it was you! Still the same lovable little guy!” Skyfire said. “It’s good to see you, little dude.”

 “Same here, Sky.” He said. It’s been ages since he last saw her. He thought she died on her last expedition.

 “Where’s Prime and the others? And where the hell are we?” She looked around and saw the burning airships and talos around them. “What’s with the junk piles?”

 Bumblebee quickly gave Skyfire a summarized version of the events that led to them being on this planet, namely that the war had been going on for four million years, Bumblebee being stationed on Terra and the humans discovering her buried in the ground and were planning to kill her.

 “Well damn, that’s something else all right. First planet I land on turns out to be home to a race of metal eating cannibals. How swell.” Skyfire said cheerfully. “Though I’m struggling to remember how I even got down here.”

 “Skyfire! My old friend!”

 Starscream walked up to them, looking like he had been through hell and back. His body was covered in bullet holes and burnt scorch marks where the missiles scored hits off him. He was gingerly holding his left arm as he tried to look friendly to his former colleague.

 “Oh…hey Screamer.” Skyfire greeted.

 “It’s not Screa-“ Starscream took a deep breath to calm himself. “It’s good to see you, old friend. I was afraid those vile humans had done irreparable damage to you. Quickly, we must leave before more Autobots arrive.”

 “Screamer, I’m an Autobot.” She pointed to the symbol on her chest.

 “And I am a Decepticon. But we are both Seekers first and foremost, and Seekers are loyal only to themselves.” Starscream said. “Am I wrong?”

 “Yeah, you got a point.” Skyfire muttered. Bumblebee looked at her worriedly. She wasn’t really going to believe Starscream, was she?

 Starscream smirked. “Yes, we Seekers are the true power in this war, but our numbers are low and scattered after four million years of war. Let’s forget about the bad blood between us and join forces again to rebuild our shared legacy.”

 “I’d say yes,” Skyfire began, reaching behind her back. “But then I remembered how much of a pathological liar you are and how you murdered your sister and sold Vos to the Cons. So…no thanks. I’m good. Here’s my resignation.”

 She pulled out a black particle cannon that unfolded from her back and fired a burst of hot plasma into Starscream’s chest before he could react to her refusal. He went flying back and crashed into Skywarp and Thundercracker. Starscream growled and wearily got to his feet.

 “You will regret that, Skyfire! Mark my words!” Starscream hissed. “Seekers, retreat!”

 “Finally!” Thundercracker grunted.

 The Seeker trio transformed in synch and took flight. Skyfire made to fly after them to teach them a lesson she planned for a long time, but she didn’t even make it a foot off the ground before landing on her feet. The boosters in her feet and her back thrusters weren’t working properly, no doubt because she spent who knows how long stuck in stasis lock without energon. She wasn’t going anywhere without transforming.

 “I need some new wings. But where to find one…” She trailed off when she saw a mostly intact Hurricane that had survived the aerial massacre from earlier. “That’ll do.”

 Aquarius grunted as she hit a snow pile and kicked a thick ice tendril at Jazz, grazing his leg and forcing him back into a group of Orion talos that fired their kinetic shells at him. Sitting up, she looked over at the airship and saw Bumblebee with the newly awakened Skyfire, and growled. But before she could attack them, she saw something…amazing.

 Skyfire fired a green scanning beam from her visor at the jet, downloading a highly detail schematic of the aircraft into her brain and T-Cog. Once she was done scanning the jet, her body began to change. Her old, rusted armor plating reformatted into new pieces of armor, her very structure changing like it was made of liquid metal. Her body’s configuration incorporated different, terran parts but remained overall the same as her cybertronian form. The process itself only took a couple of seconds, and soon Skyfire stood strong and tall in her new terra form.

 This was an inherent ability in all cybertronians, allowing them to scan new alt modes that were the same relative size and mass as them. The Hurricane aircraft was just right for Skyfire. Skyfire took a moment to admire her new form before leaping off the ground and shifting into a perfect version of the Hurricane VTOL jet, speeding off into the sky after the Seekers.

 “So that’s how it’s done.” Aquarius muttered. She smirked and radioed her forces. “All units, fall back. I’ve seen enough today.”

 Jazz advanced on her, but she collected all the water around her body into a barrier that swirled around her. Jazz swung his staff, but his weapon passed right through the sphere-and she was gone. Jazz sighed and slumped his shoulders.

 “This mission was more trouble than it’s worth.” Jazz muttered.

XXXXXX

Starscream was livid. To think that he, a proud Seeker of the Decepticons, would be forced to retreat from a bunch of humans! The very thought enraged him beyond reason. His only solace was that Megatron wouldn’t know about this, or else he’d be lording his failure around like it was the freaking Matrix!

 A loud explosion interrupted his musings and he heard Skywarp cry out behind him. Two missiles hit the purple Seeker in his underside and he went spiraling down to the forest below. Starscream and Thundercracker tightened their formation to close rank.

 “What the hell was that?” Thundercracker yelled. A green blur flew past them before four more missiles followed close behind.

 The duo managed to avoid getting blown out of the sky by expertly maneuvering away from the missiles and shooting them down, flying higher to return fire of their own. They were unable to properly get a lock on their assailant, who was much faster than them thanks to their injuries hindering their aerial performance. Starscream noticed the green and red color scheme of the aircraft attacking them and growled.

 “Skyfire!”

 “That’s my name, don’t wear it out!”

 Skyfire nose dived at Thundercracker, who flew straight up at her. When it appeared that the two fighters would collide in mid-air, Skyfire angled her descent so that she was just a few inches above Thundercracker and flew vertically, using her wing to slice cleanly through Thundercracker’s left wing. Then she changed to robot mode and fired her particle cannon into him and sent him falling out of the sky in a flaming wreck.

 He was smart enough to transform and slow his descent with his thrusters before he crashed through the trees and landed hard on the ground.

“This is what I get for following Starscream!” Thundercracker lamented painfully.

 Starscream chased Skyfire around, firing his laser cannons wildly. However, compared to the older and more experienced flyer, Starscream was little more than a protoform with wings. She wasn’t even trying to fight back, she was just enjoying throwing Starscream around for a loop without wasting any fuel.

 “You’re always talking, always laughing, always cracking those annoying jokes that no one even likes!” Starscream yelled. “Why won’t you leave me alone?!”

 “Because I don’t like leaving my trash lying around, Screamer.” Skyfire replied.

 She transformed and shot at Starscream like a bullet. Starscream panicked, not expecting the move, and tried to evade, but Skyfire’s large body slammed into him with the force of a full powered punch from Optimus Prime (and he knew what that felt like). Skyfire grabbed the Seeker and spun him around, throwing him like a Frisbee into the forest below, hearing the satisfying crash of Starscream hitting the ground at full force.

 Jazz and Bumblebee watched the aerial battle from the ground with awed looks.

 “Wow, I forgot how much of a beast she was in the air.” Jazz said.

 Skyfire returned to the destroyed camp, landing on the dirty snow with a thump and blowing away the tents near her feet.

 “I’ve wanted to do that for so long.” Skyfire said, very pleased with herself.

 “That was so cool!” Annie exclaimed as she and Kevin appeared, helping a wounded Grindor along.

 Skyfire looked down at them and groaned. “Great, the locals love gratuitous violence. What a wonderful planet this is.”

XXXXXX

 The appearance of a new yet long lost Autobot was a welcome surprise to Team Prime, but they accepted Skyfire with open arms all the same. Optimus explained to the children that Skyfire was an Autobot explorer who used to be a part of the same unit as Starscream before she quit and joined the Autobots when the Decepticons were conquering territories.

 Skyfire took some time in the CR chamber and stepped out looking and feeling fresh and new. She looked at her refection and whistled. “I look gorgeous. Better than I’ve ever been.”

 “I’m glad to see that you’re fully operational, Skyfire.” Optimus said. “But we have to know-how did you come to be on Terra?”

 “It wasn’t by choice, mind you. I was stationed at the Kimia Facility to test out some new fold technology for personal use. It was reverse-engineered by those tech-heads from Skywarp’s teleportation powers. I used it once, sent myself Primus knows how many light years through space and flew straight into this planet’s orbit. Gravity did the rest and knocked me out when I hit the ground.”

 “Would’ve thought a sturdy femme like you could’ve weathered that fall, at least without going into stasis.” Bulkhead said.

 “That stupid fold drive drained most of my energy and I used the rest for my personal shielding when I fell from orbit. It’s only thanks to my dense armor that it didn’t burn up in the fall.” She said dryly.

 “Well, we are glad to have you on the team, Skyfire.” Optimus said and held out a hand, which Skyfire shook gratefully.

 “Glad to be here, Prime. But I was thinking about flying around this rock, see the sights and all that.” she noticed the looks she was getting an added, “I’ll keep an eye out for anything strange and call in regularly. I promise-Seeker’s honor.”

 “We’ll take that at face value.” Prowl said.

 Skyfire gave him what could’ve been a grin and she went to the ground bridge, only to feel a tap on her foot. She looked down and saw Comettor standing down there. “What’s up, little guy?”

 “Can…can I come with you? I’ve always wanted to be partnered with a Seeker!” Comettor requested excitedly. “You know…before they turned bad.”

 “Well if it’s alright with Sparky here.” Skyfire looked at Sparkplug, who nodded, despite his displeasure with the nickname.

 “Don’t worry, he can go. Just be sure to take good care of him.” He said.

 “Will do, Sparky.” Skyfire looked at Arcee and winked, or gave what was supposed to be a wink with her visor, at her. “Call me, Pinky.”

 Arcee grunted and rolled her eyes.

 Comettor changed forms and linked up with Skyfire as the femme walked into the ground bridge and disappeared into the portal. Annie shook her head.

 “I am so getting flying sessions from her.” She said smiling. She turned to Kevin. “I think I’m ready for that report now. You game?”

 Kevin smirked. “Always.”

XXXXXX

 Aquarius was in her safe house awaiting additional OZ forces to help transport her and what remained of her forces back to HQ. Aquarius sat in her chair watching the recording of Skyfire’s scanning the jet. It was almost magical in how the femme just changed into a perfect replica of the aircraft with the ease of a chameleon changing its skin. She never thought they could do something like this.

 “Aries was right, the cybertronians are not something to be underestimated.” Aquarius muttered. She tapped a key and brought up a picture of Annie and Kevin with Grindor, taken by a hidden camera in her tent. “And it would seem we are not the only humans they’ve encountered.”


	19. Hereafter

Chapter 18-Hereafter

 Yellowstone forest was dark and quiet in the middle of the night. With the lack of artificial lights that dominated the continent, it was truly pitch black, and the tall, ancient trees blocked most of the moonlight that shined down over the forest. Usually there would be nocturnal creatures hanging about, hunting and thriving, but tonight they were strangely silent. Perhaps it had something to do with the chaotic battle between two robotic giants that had did battle in this particular section of the forest a few months ago…and the team of mechanical giants prowling the forest on this night.

 Heavy metal footsteps came from the five unit team of Codarl mecha that stalked through the trees. Four were the usually dark silver units reserved for OZ talos pilots, but the fifth taking point was deep red. This was no average combat mission-this was a hunt. But they were hunting no animal.

 “Suppression fire only,” Aries said through the private comm channel. “We take this one alive.”

 Aries was personally leading a talos team through Yellowstone in search of a cybertronian that was reported to be roaming the area. Thanks to the intercepted radio transmissions, the target was wounded and calling for help. Aries wasted no time in mobilizing a special team to capture another potential subject to study.

 They were all on high alert, with their motion sensors scanning the ground for any signs of movement that wasn’t an animal. Past experiences told them to never underestimate a cybertronian, even a wounded one. Lugnut was barely conscious and yet he killed dozens of men and fought of just as many talos with his bare hands alone. Fighting them was like fighting a high-tech tank with the agility of a martial artist. Even if you knew where to hit and what weapons to use, it was still a matter of who could kill who first.

 Aries heard something rustling in the branches above them and spun his talos around, firing a few rounds from his assault rifle. The bullets tore apart the branches but missed the black shape that leapt onto another tree. The other talos opened fire, but the shape evaded them and ran into a small valley.

 “Don’t let it get away!” Aries yelled.

 The Codarl squad jumped into the valley, their armored shoulders scraping against the rocks as they landed on the uneven ground, their auto-balancing systems just barely keeping them upright. Aries lead the team through the close knit area, keeping a close eye on his radar. It was only thanks to the energon they were tracking that they were still on their target’s trail. The trail led them deeper into the valley before the signal suddenly vanished.

 “What?” Aries muttered. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he raised his Codarl’s weapon just as one of his team’s units exploded.

 Caught by surprise by the death of one of their own, the team was unprepared for the second attack that tore off another Codarl’s arms and severed its head, followed by a green energy arrow impaling its battery from behind, making the unit exploded. Aries tried to get a read on their attacker but couldn’t get a proper lock on.

 “Damn it!” Aries growled as the third Codarl took an arrow to the cockpit, and he heard the bloody gurgle of the pilot’s dying breath as his machine dropped to its front. He saw a black shape jump down behind the last talos and raised his rifle. “Behind you!”

 The pilot had no time to move as the shape grabbed his unit and used it as a shield the minute Aries fired his assault rifle. Armor piercing bullets tore into the unfortunate Codarl with ease, and the pilot was already a bloody mist when Aries cut off his attack. The attacker threw the dead talos at Aries, slamming it into his unit and knocking him into the rocky wall. Aries was jostled violently in his seat and didn’t wait for his talos to fall before blasting his cockpit hatch open and jumping out.

 Aries zeroed in on the cybertronian and prepared his fire his eye beam when he was ensnared by a green net that pinned him to the wall. He recovered just in time to see his reflection in a pair of dark red eyes.

 “Look what the cat dragged in.” Flamewar chuckled, tapping the tip of her laser crossbow on her cheek. “Here’s a tip, if you hear a distress signal on an open Decepticon channel, it’s most likely a trap.”

 “I’ll be sure to remember that next time.” Aries growled. He wanted to shoot her with his heat beam, but he was too close. Firing it at this distance would also catch him in the resulting explosion, and he had the decency to not go out on the field in some stupid suicide attack.

 “Oh honey, there’s no next time for you.” She said smirking. Flamewar stepped closer to him and glared at him straight in the face. “Decepticon radio chatter is all abuzz about the makeover you gave Lugnut. As an ex-Con myself, I should decapitate you on the spot!”

 She tapped her sharp index finger against his chin, just hard enough to draw some blood. Aries was sure she was going to skewer his skull on her finger, but she pulled back and stood to her full height. “But…you could be of use to me.”

 “How so?”

 “You see, I may get in and out of places some bots can’t, but I don’t know a lot about this world. And I am currently at a disadvantage after my ex and her pet destroyed my ship and skinned my knee.” Flamewar explained, not taking her fiery gaze off Aries for one second. “I want to pay them back in kind. And you’re going to help me.”

 “And what’s in it for me?” Aries questioned. Flamewar couldn’t help but smirk at the man’s tenacity-this one was smarter than the average vermin on this world.

 “I let you live,” She replied. “And since you’re looking to capture a…Transformer, as you call us, I’ll throw in what’s left of Arcee. After I’ve broken her.”

 Aries knew it was this or death, so it wasn’t much of a choice. But this was a blessing in disguise in more ways than one, and he’d be a fool to waste this opportunity.

XXXXXX

 It was sundown when the twins Darren and Annie walked through their quiet neighborhood with the transformed High Wire and Grindor in tow. It was a nice evening for a walk; things were peaceful for once and they took their time walking home to chat a little. This was something they needed after the hellish day they had.

 “So…when were you guys going to tell us there were freaking dragons in Australinea?” Grindor asked. Darren rolled his eyes.

 “We weren’t expecting to run into them, Grindor.” He said. “Dragons like to build their nests incognito. We were lucky that the mother wasn’t home when we crashed the party.”

 “You say that like the babies were the lesser of the two evils.” High Wire groaned.

 Their latest Minicon retrieval mission took them to the arid and dry land of Australinea. It was a mostly long and boring mission that was only made slightly livelier with Prowl, Arcee and Ironhide fighting Barricade, Nightshade and Knockout. The panel was located in a small alcove atop a mountain, which they later learned was home to a dragon nest (dragons were rumored to have lived in Australinea, but no one knew for sure since said dragons were very good at hiding. The children answered that question unwittingly).

 Dragons were large enough to rival a cargo plane in size, and the hatchlings were a few months old, reaching the size of adolescent horses, taller than the children and already breathing fire. Goldfire had to fight three baby dragons (smacked around was more accurate) while the children retrieved the panel, while also avoiding stray fire breathes belched at them from afar. In the end, their hard work amounted to Leader-1 and Songbird sneaking the panel away and the former giving them the finger as he jumped into their ground bridge. Prowl wasn’t happy when they got back to the Ark.

 “Well we’re home now, and that’s what matters.” Annie said, wiping the soot from her cheek. “I, for one, am not in the mood to listen to Prowl bitching for us not performing to snuff after almost getting roasted by three dragonlings.”

 They approached their house, but as they walked into the front yard, they were surprised to see Debbie standing on the doorstep waiting for them. The twins gave each other a glance that said “We’re in trouble”.

 “Where have you two been?” Debbie asked when they reached her. “It’s almost dark and neither of you bothered to call in about being late.”

 “Sorry, sis, Gina kept us longer than we thought.” Annie lied easily. They already came up with a cover story on the way home. “She had us out in the forest looking for some damn fossils or something. You know how she is?”

 Darren noticed how stressed his older sister looked and frowned. “Debbie, are you okay? You look really tense.”

 Debbie sighed and ran a hand through her raven tresses. “Are you serious, Darren? Did you guys forget what Monday is?”

 “What’s Monday?” Annie asked.

 “It’s mom and dad’s anniversary, Annie.”

 Darren and Annie visibly stiffened, worrying their partners, and they looked at each other. The Minicons didn’t know the significance of such a day, but it must have been bad if their moods suddenly took a downturn. Debbie smiled sadly and hugged them both.

 “It’s feels like a decade since we visited them, doesn’t it?” She whispered. Debbie let them go and opened the door. “Put those in the garage and come on in. I’ve already got dinner ready.”

 “Sure. We’ll be right there.” Darren said.

 High Wire and Grindor waited until the twins took them into the garage before transforming to robot mode. High Wire asked if they were alright.

 “We’re fine, High Wire. The wind got taken from our sails, that’s all.” Annie said.

 “What’s on Monday?” Grindor asked. High Wire nudged him.

 “Grindor!”

 “What? I was just curious.”

 “Its okay, High Wire.” Darren smiled sadly. “Monday’s the anniversary of our parents’ funerals. We’re visiting them on that day.”

 High Wire’s eyes widened and Grindor looked at his feet. “Now I feel like an ass. I’m sorry.” Grindor muttered.

 “You didn’t know, Grindor. No use in feeling sorry,” Annie said coldly, though it wasn’t aimed at her friend. “They’re dead, that’s it. Nothing we can do about it. Come on, Darren.”

 Annie walked through the door into their house without a look back, leaving Darren with the Minicons. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

 “Annie doesn’t take that day very well.” Darren said. “Hey, guys…is it okay if we just go with Debbie alone to the grave?” At the worried looks the Minicons gave him, he added, “Please, guys. This is a very special day for us and we want to spend it as a family. It would mean a lot for us if you just…gave us some privacy.”

 “Darren, you know how risky that is. What if something happens?” High Wire said.

 “Don’t worry, I can keep my sisters safe.” Darren assured him.

 But his guardian was still not convinced. Reaching into his hip compartment, High Wire took out a thin wristband with the Minicon symbol on it.

 “If you’re going alone, then here. It’s a device I had Liftor make just in case we get separated on missions.” High Wire told him. He pointed to the symbol. “Just press the symbol and it’ll release a distress signal that can be detected by any friendly forces in the area. Something like what the Autobots have with their emergency beacons.”

 “Not Teletran-1?” Grindor asked. His team leader shook his head.

 “No, it’s not strong enough. This is just a prototype.” High Wire said. “Even still, I’d feel better if you had this on you.”

 Darren smiled and took the wristband. “Thank you, High Wire. I’ll put it to good use, though I hope I won’t have to.”

 High Wire nodded and watched Darren run into the house for dinner. Despite this reassurance of their safety, he couldn’t help but still feel worried for his charge-no…his friend.

XXXXXX

 Arcee was worried, she always was when it came to the children, more so when the twins were concerned. Moonracer always said she was a motherboard when it came to her and Arcee didn’t deny it. Living through tat nightmare of a Form and Function society was terrible, especially with more and more alt modes being deemed as “obsolete”. Arcee’s only concern was protecting those close to her, namely Moonracer and Flamewar (her lover at the time) but eventually she lost them both. Cybertron was a very different place before the war, more sinister and threatening, and being paranoid was a requirement to survive.

 She was the first one to notice the change in the twins’ mood over the past few days. Darren and Annie seemed more subdued than normal, and many of their friends also noticed the change. She first asked Gina what was wrong, but the girl only said it wasn’t her place to tell, solemnly saying that it was a family matter. Kevin didn’t know at all and wanted to stay out of it to respect their privacy.

 Arcee tried to do the same, but it weighed too much on her mind and she couldn’t take it anymore. On night, Arcee parked herself on the street the twins lived on, sitting close enough to their house to monitor them but far enough away that they couldn’t see her. Arcee called up High Wire on the internal comm.

 “High Wire? Are you awake?” Arcee asked.

 _“Just barely. I’ve been trying to recharge for some time now.”_ High Wire said. _“Is something wrong?”_

“I’m worried about Darren and Annie. They’ve been acting strange lately and not even Gina will tell me why. Did something happen?”

 High Wire was silent for a moment, debating on whether he should tell Arcee or not. Eventually, his concern for the twins won out and he told her about the Radcliffe siblings going to visit their parents’ graces tomorrow.

 “Primus…” Arcee whispered. She forgot the twins only had their older sister looking out for them.

 “ _Arcee, I know you don’t have any obligation to listen to my request,”_ High Wire said. _“But could you maybe-“_

“I’ll watch over them for you,” Arcee said curtly, her voice tight. “Don’t worry.”

 “ _Thank you, Arcee.”_

He signed off and Arcee was left sitting alone in the dark street. This made her think back to her waking nightmares of Moonracer’s death after running into Flamewar. She spent so long trying to bury it, and that was the first time she actively sought help to deal with it instead of concealing her fears behind a wall of emotions. She had Darren to thank for that. It seemed only right that she be there for him in his time of need.

 “ _Arcee, this is Prowl, do you copy?”_ Prowl called in.

 “I’m here, Prowl. What’s up?”

_“Return to base. You have recon duty in a few minutes.”_

“I’m sorry, Prowl, but I’m busy at the moment.” Arcee said, knowing she was going to get chewed out for this. “Pass it over to Ironhide.”

 “That’s unacceptable, Arcee. What’s so important that you have to shrug off your duties?” Prowl said mildly annoyed.

 “Darren and Annie are heading out of town with their sister and they’re not taking the Minicons along. I’m looking after them.”

 “No you’re not. This is no up for discussion, Arcee. I’m bridging you out.”

 “Sorry, Prowl, but the twins need my help.” Arcee replied. “I’m signing out.”

 Arcee switched her comm-link off and powered down. This was going to get her a lot of flak from Prowl, but she could deal with that. Right now, there were more important things to do.

XXXXXX

 The Monday morning of the anniversary was murky and cloudy, fitting the somber mood the Radcliffe children were feeling as they woke up and ate breakfast with their sister. Once they finished and said their goodbyes to their Minicon guardians, they joined Debbie in the car and got started with their trip.

 Arcee, who was just waking up from her restless slumber, waited for Debbie to gain some distance before following the car down the street. Making sure she stayed out of sight, she followed the car through downtown Tranquility to the edge of the town, where they took the road leading out of the town and going through the forest.

 After an hour of driving, they made it to their destination-Latta. Latta was a city south of Tranquility where the Radcliffes lived before their father joined the military. Debbie drove the twins into Latta’s city limits, but stayed near its outskirts, driving over to the cemetery where their parents were buried. Arcee was careful to keep her distance as the siblings left the car, clad in semi-casual wear suited for the occasion.

 Darren and Annie were quiet as they entered the church bordering the cemetery. It was an old church their grandmother went to before it was abandoned, but no one had the heart to take down such a grand landmark in Latta. When they went inside, Arcee summoned her holo-avatar and followed them inside.

 Arcee was no religious person, but she felt out of place the moment she entered the church. She believed in no gods, not Primus or his Guiding Hand, not even in the god they called death. Compared to cybertronians, humans had too many gods, and caused too many conflicts over beings they could not see or touch. She knew from listening to Darren that his family was inherently Chantry, the religion that worshipped one god and deified the woman Andraste as the manifestation of that god. Taking a second to look at the statue of the Fair Maiden who died for man’s sins, Arcee exited the back of the church and saw the three siblings standing amongst a field of graces, looking down at four graves in particular.

 Debbie finished praying to her parents and grandparents and smiled down at their graves. “Hey mom, dad. We’re back, just like we promised. We’re doing fine, so I hope you’re not worrying about us too much. Darren is doing fine, he’s managing with his powers and they’re still secret, which is a win for us. Annie’s still a bit of a handful, but that’s no surprise there. She gets it from grandma.” She chuckled softly. “They’re both good kids, though, and I’m doing the best to take care of them just like you’d want me to.”

 Debbie took a deep breath to collect herself. She wasn’t going to cry yet before she was done today. “Grandpa, grandma, all three of us are doing what you’ve always told us to do-making sure we live life to the fullest. It’s hard with how chaotic the world is getting every day, but we won’t let it get us down. I know you two wouldn’t let that happen to us. I pray you’re all doing fine in Heaven, and I hope we’ll all see each other soon someday. Though, hopefully it won’t be for a long time.”

 Darren and Annie hung back, still looking at the graves. A cold breeze blew through the cemetery, making Debbie shiver.

 “I’m going to get the flowers.” Debbie said. “You two make sure to talk to mom and dad before I get back. I know they’d love to hear how you two are doing.”

 Debbie hugged the twins and walked away, leaving them with the graves. They said nothing for a few minutes, and Darren knelt down to run his fingers along the gravestones.

 “You’re not going to say anything to them, Annie?” He asked.

 “No.” She said coldly. Her arms were crossed and it was hard to gauge her expression, a rarity for the girl who wore her emotions on a sleeve.

 “Really? Not even a hello or-“

 “What the hell does it matter, Darren? They’re dead, so it’s no use in telling them anything!” Annie yelled and sniffed a bit. “It’s not like they could talk back.”

 “The least you could do is show some respect.” Darren sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “We barely get any time these days to visit them with how busy Debbie is at the clinic.”

 “What do you want me to say, Darren? Oh hey mom, dad, you wanna know about the kickass alien robots we found a few months ago? They’re fucking sweet and we almost got killed hanging out with them a few times. Give it some time and we might see you two again before we’re in our twenties! But don’t get your hopes up!” Annie sneered and shook her head. “Fucking hell, bro. what else can we say that we haven’t spat out the last dozen times?”

 “Hello would be a good place to start.”

 The twins jumped and spun around to see Arcee in her holoform standing there, hands crossed in front of her with a sad smile on her face.

 “Arcee? What are you doing here?” Darren asked.

 “I was worried about you two and High Wire told me what’s up. I tagged along to make sure you two were doing okay as a favor to him.” She said. “I’m sorry for intruding, but I took your situation a bit more personally than I should”

 “You wanted to see if we’re doing okay? We’re looking at our parents’ graves. It’s not like we’re chatting over a cup of coffee.” Annie snorted.

 “Annie, that’s enough.” Darren scolded, and she just sniffed at him, turning back to the graves.

 Arcee got closer so she was standing over the twins and looked down at the tombstones.

**Gen. James Sun-Eagle Radcliffe**

3.24.1943-3.2.2004

Beloved husband, father, grandfather and great hero

**Barbara Rabbit-Rose Radcliffe**

9.20.1943-9.10.1999

Beloved wife, mother and grandmother

**Capt. Connor Bear-Paw Radcliffe**

02.24.1967-1.14.2001

Beloved husband, father and hero

**Elizabeth Ann Radcliffe**

11.11.1971-8.11.2002

Beloved wife and mother

 “What’s with the animal names?” Arcee asked.

 “Dad’s side of the family is Manidoog, they’re the original natives of Osea before Emmerian settlers discovered the land. He and grandpa took tradition very seriously and taught us everything they knew. They got those names in honor of becoming adults and were given their spirit animals that defined them.” Darren explained. “Dad’s family was a part of the Sioux tribe that lived in Dakote, and when he died, grandpa made sure to tell us everything he knew before something happened.”

 “But he died before he could give us cool animal names and stuff.” Annie said. “One more kick in the nads for the both of us, I suppose.”

 Arcee nodded, that explained their different skin tone. She also noticed that Darren took these beliefs more seriously than Annie. In fact, she seemed a bit too blasé about all this, though she knew well enough not to point that out. Biting her lip, Arcee asked the difficult question.

 “How…did they die?”

 “Dad was a captain in the Osean Mobile Armor Division in the army. During the Gulf War in Azteca, he died covering for his team in battle. We were eight and Debbie was fifteen.” Darren said.

 Arcee placed a hand on his shoulder, for his support or hers, she didn’t know.

 “Mom didn’t take it very well. She started drinking and went into depression. It got so bad that grandpa started taking care of us most of the time.” He continued. Annie’s face was stone cold and she was eerily silent as she listened to the morbid tale she was all too familiar with. “This went on for so many months after dad died. And then she just…couldn’t take it anymore.”

 Arcee caught Annie’s expression tightening and knew this was a sore point for her. She had no idea that Annie had far more grievances with this particular memory than Darren, who didn’t know that she was the one who found their mother’s body lying limp on their bathroom floor.

XXXXXX

_Debbie tried to sleep, but the thick summer heat made it hard for her to drift off. That and the fact that her family was falling apart. Her mother wasn’t the woman she looked up to anymore. Her condition hadn’t improved at all since the funeral six months ago. Elizabeth quit her job and became an alcoholic, barely registering her children at all. It wasn’t until she started yelling at Darren whenever he used his powers that Debbie asked her grandfather to help them._

_He agreed to move in and watch over the children until she got some help. His involvement helped things greatly around the house, but her relationship with her mother was on the rocks. She even had to break up an argument between Elizabeth and Annie after the woman hit the girl for no reason._

_Debbie sighed and laid on her back thinking on how things had gone south ever since her father died. He sacrificed so much for his country, but honestly, it wasn’t worth losing him and watching her mother waste away. ‘I wish things were back to normal.’ She thought sadly. ‘Why did you have to die, dad? You said you were going to come back. You promised.’_

_A loud thump made her jump and she sat up in bed. Debbie warily got out of bed and left her room to see where the noise came from. Looking down the hall from her room and saw Annie standing in front of the bathroom._

_“Annie? What are you doing up so late?” Debbie asked. Annie didn’t answer, nor did she move. Debbie noticed the glass of water at her feet and walked over to her. “Annie, are you okay? What’s wrong?”_

_Debbie went over to her sister and knelt down to check on her. Annie’s face was blank and staring at something. She followed her sister’s gaze into the bathroom and gasped in horror. On the bathroom floor was her mother’s body, strewn across the fluffy carpet will open pill bottles scattered under her and her dead eyes were staring right up at Annie._

_“Oh god!” Debbie cried out and ran to get her grandfather. “Grandpa, wake up! Mom’s in trouble!”_

_Annie didn’t move, still staring at her mother’s corpse._

XXXXXX

 Annie never forgot that night, or how she just stood there silently as her mother slowly died from drug overdose. Watching the breathing of the woman who birthed her slow to a crawl before stopping completely. She didn’t understand what was going on or that it would be the last thing she’d remember of her mother. When she didn’t answer her or move when her toddler self called out to her, Annie knew, at some level, that she had lost her. And something just snapped within her.

 Annie felt she could have done something, anything to help her mother. But instead she stood there and watched without so much as shedding a tear. A weak little girl who couldn’t even save her mother. It haunted her for years to come.

 “Arcee,” Annie said softly. “When you lost your sister, what did you do? How did you cope with it?”

 Annie looked at the girl and sighed. “I didn’t take it well at first, obviously. I was in a state of shock for months after that night. I took suicide missions left and right on the off chance that I would get killed on one of them and finally be with Moonracer again, but all I achieved was getting a reputation as a stone cold warrior. Even after meeting Jazz, I buried all those emotions and memories in my mind because just thinking of her name brought back the agony of her death. It never got easy, and I always remembered that she was gone and never coming back.”

 “It wasn’t until meeting Flamewar again with Darren that I realize that running and hiding from the pain only made it worse. That kind of thinking almost got your brother killed by my cowardice and I knew I had to change before I ended up causing someone else more pain.” Arcee sighed and looked at the dark grey clouds above them. “Honestly, all I can say is that the pain never really goes away, but it’s how you deal with it that matters. These days, I try to remember the good times I had with Moonracer, use those memories to keep me going so that I could still make her happy in the Afterspark. I’m sure you two can do the same, despite being so young when they passed.”

 Darren and Annie looked up at Arcee with wide eyes, awed at how strong she sounded. Darren remembered how she was back in Yellowstone, the fear and pain that came with fighting Flamewar again and reliving those memories. Now, it seemed that Arcee was becoming a better person because of it.

 The twins thought back on the times when they and Debbie were a family with their mother and father. The family nights, the beach trips, vacations, or even ordinary evenings around the dinner table talking and chatting. Playing as toddlers and laughing at stories. Darren remembered how his mother was kind and dedicated to her family, Annie remembered how strong her father was and his drive to keep his family safe. It inspired them both to become better people.

 ‘It’s best to think of how the dead were in life instead of how they died in their final days.’ Darren thought.

 “Thanks, Arcee. You…you’ve really changed.” Darren said.

 “Yeah, we needed that.” Annie said. She promised to take those words to heart, even though it wouldn’t be immediate.

 Arcee smiled at them both and hugged them close. “Anything for you two. I’m happy to share some wisdom with you-as thanks for helping me with my demons.”

 “Speaking of demons-where’s Debbie? She should’ve been back by now.” Annie said.

 “Yeah, it shouldn’t take her this long to get some flowers.” Darren said.

 Bowing to their parents and grandparents one more time, the twins followed Arcee back to the front of the church, where the car was parked. Debbie’s car was still there, but the door was left open and the flowers were sitting in the passenger seat.

 “Where’s Debbie?” Darren asked, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. Something didn’t feel right.

 “Hey, what’s this?” Annie picked up an envelope sitting by the flowers and opened it. Flipping it over, a small recorder fell out onto the seat. Almost immediately, a deep voice spoke from the communicator, one Arcee recognized at once.

_“Good evening, Darren and Annie Radcliffe.”_

“Aries?!” Arcee’s holoform vanished and her real body transformed, stomping over to the car.

 “Aries? The guy who tried to snuff you guys in Azteca?” Annie questioned.

 “OZ knows who we are?” Darren breathed. “How?”

 _“You have your sister to thank for that, when she and her friends stole important data from a cohort of mine. It didn’t take long to find out who you are. We now know everything about you.”_ Aries said. “ _For instance, do you know where your sister is?”_

Annie growled. “If you’ve done anything to Debbie, I’ll-“

_“Make no mistake, I would like to avoid any possible casualties on this sad day for the two of you. So long as you do as I say, there will be no deaths or injuries…at least, none life threatening.”_

Arcee leaned back from the car and called the Ark. “Ratchet-AGH!” Arcee doubled over in pain as she was assaulted by a head-splitting headache.

 “Arcee!” Darren ran over to her.

 _“Did I forget to mention that this device scrambles all radio signals and your brainwaves?”_ Aries said firmly. _“Any break in communication or attempt to contact the other Autobots, and I can’t be held responsible for what might happen to your big sister.”_

XXXXXX

 Arcee sped down the dark streets of Lotta with the twins sitting in her two seats. It began raining not too long ago and didn’t plan on stopping any time soon, as if Gaia herself was weeping for their misfortune. Darren held the communicator that displayed the coordinates programmed into the device.

“I can’t believe this. If anything happens to Debbie because of our connection to this…” Annie cried. She was angry and scared at the same time and she hated that feeling.

 “Annie, relax. OZ only wants me. Once they have me, they’ll let your sister go.” Arcee said.

 “That’s not reassuring, Arcee. You’re family too.” Darren told her, and Annie nodded in agreement. Trading the life of a friend for another didn’t help matters at all.

 Arcee drove to the very edge of the city, following the beacon to a warehouse near an abandoned amusement park. She barely stopped in the parking lot when a dozen red laser sights appeared all over them. There were at least a dozen OZ soldiers armed with assault rifles pointed at them. There were no sign of any talos however.

 “So what’s the plan?” Darren whispered.

 “The usual.” Arcee growled and revved up her engine.

 She sped past the soldiers, not caring at all if she hit any of them as she drove into the warehouse. The twins hopped out of Arcee as she switched to robot mode.

 “Debbie! Where are you?” Darren called out.

 “Answer us, sis! We’re here for you!” Annie yelled.

 Suddenly Arcee was trapped in a green energy net that wrapped around her torso, pinning her arms to her chest. Darren and Annie spun around and saw Flamewar jumping down from her perch on one of the support beams.

 “What’s she doing here?!” Darren exclaimed.

 “She’s my new business associate.” Aries entered the warehouse, with three talos following him. More soldiers surrounded them and aimed their weapons. Arcee gritted her teeth and glared at the humans.

 “Aries, let them go.” Arcee said, struggling in her bonds. “They’re human, like you!”

 “I am more than some human or esper, Autobot. I am a higher being.” Aries said confidently. “And what’s a few lives compared to a miracle of biological evolution such as yourself?”

 Aries snapped his fingers and one of the Codarls fired an EMP scrambler at Arcee. Once she was hit, Arcee was taken out by a powerful electrical surge that overloaded her systems and sent her crashing to the ground. Darren snarled and tore up numerous metal panels from the floor and walls and pointed them at Aries. The general didn’t look the least bit threatened by his show of force.

 “Go ahead, bot.” Aries said, mocking him. They both knew even an amalgam of Darren’s power would be outgunned in this scenario. “You’ll be dead before they even reach me.”

 The air was tense between them and Darren contemplated running Aries through anyway, but he scowled and drop his telekinetic hold over the panels, letting them drop to the floor. The soldiers were quick to relieve them of the twins’ phones and the communicator. Flamewar chuckled at the angered expressions on their faces.

 “You humans are so easy to manipulate. You all place such great value in family that it’s just too easy to get you to do whatever I want.” Flamewar bent down to glare into Darren’s green eyes with her red ones. “So, I figured what better way to get some payback than to make you watch me tear your family apart.”

 “Just try it!” Darren barked. “If you touch her…”

 “How about this?” Flamewar grinned. “Let’s play a game. If you can save your sister before the clock strikes twelve, then you can all go free.”

 “And if time runs out?” Annie asked.

 “What do you think?”

 Darren glared at Aries before flicking his fingers and sending a small strip of metal flying past the man’s face, splitting his cheek. Aries didn’t flinch as blood ran from the thin cut on his cheek.

 “If anything happens to Debbie or Arcee, there’ll be no place on Terra for you to hide!”

 “I’ll be waiting, boy.” Aries said.

 Darren took Annie’s hand and ran out of the warehouse towards the amusement park, knowing they had only seventeen minutes to find their sister before Flamewar began to hunt.

XXXXXX

 Aries watched the twins run through the empty park through the portable command console he brought with him. Flamewar had left, already stalking the children from the shadows as she waited patiently for the right time to strike.

 “Now I know we promised the huntress that she’ll get first crack at you,” Aries muttered, looking at the unconscious Arcee. “But something tells me that she’s planning to turn our mutual crisscross into a double-cross.”

 One of the soldiers approached him. “Sir, we don’t have the proper equipment to transport it. It’ll take too much time to call in an airship.”

 “Then we’ll have to cut and run.” Aries said and nodded to his men. “Open her up.”

XXXXXX

 Darren and Annie ran aimlessly through the amusement park without stopping, trying to quickly figure out where Debbie was being held. They couldn’t stop to rest, knowing that every second counted. Their legs and lungs burned and ached, but they forced themselves to keep moving, knowing that Arcee was in more danger each passing second.

 “How do we find her? She could be anywhere in this place.” Annie panted, leaning over on her knees. “I wouldn’t put it past those bastards to tie her to a roller coaster track or something.”

 Darren racked his mind for something, but was at a loss. Flamewar was a hard femme to predict, like a wild animal, and her forming a partnership with Aries of all people was unexpected. But knowing those two, it was only a matter of time before their alliance fell apart and they went at each other’s throats. That’s how partnerships usually ended with the bad guys.

 He guessed that Flamewar probably would hide Debbie someplace enclosed, like a funhouse. The House of Horrors came to mind, but she probably would use that to throw them off. There was too many scenarios and locations to cover and not enough time to just sit still and think. Even now, he could practically feel Flamewar lurking in the shadows, stalking them.

 ‘Wait…feel.’ Darren’s face brightened as he had an idea. “Annie, I have an idea!”

 “Huh? What is it?” She asked.

 “Follow me.” Darren took her into one of the rundown funhouses, hiding momentarily from Flame’s gaze. Annie stood at the entrance to keep watch while he knelt on the ground and placed his hand flat on the dirt.

 “What are you doing?”

 “Trying out a new trick. I’m going to send a TK wave through the ground and use the vibrations to hone in on Debbie.” He explained.

 “Like echolocation?” Annie said.

 “In a way, though I’m hoping that my waves will locate her only, kind of like sonar. It might save us enough time to rescue Arcee.”

 “And if you can’t find her in time?”

 “Then pray for her,” He replied grimly. “And us.’

 Darren closed his eyes and felt his arm vibrate as he channeled a strong TK pulse wave through his limb and into the ground. Focusing on that wave, he felt the force wave travel through the ground like a vibration, hitting every physical thing within his vicinity. The wave traveled through the park and buildings within at the speed of a gust of wind, and it wasn’t long before he finally felt his TK wave locate the person he was looking for-Debbie.

 “I found her!”

 Flamewar grinned as she saw the twins run out of the building and deeper into the park. She knew that boy would find his sister eventually, he was resourceful like that. But she knew for sure that in this game, she was going to win. After all, they only had five minutes left.

XXXXXX

 “Debbie!”

 Debbie groaned as she woke up, that shout making her head ache. Her head felt fuzzy and her body tingled a bit, like she was jolted. She tried to move, but found her arms and legs stuck to her body. She opened her eyes and saw that was she surrounded by walls of differently sized mirrors. And in her reflection, she saw that she was trapped to one of the mirrors in some kind of large green net.

 “W-What is all this?” Debbie muttered and struggled to get free.

 “Debbie!”

 Debbie looked up and saw Darren and Annie running to her.

 “Darren, Annie, what’s going on here? Where are we?” She asked, still struggling in her bonds. “The last thing I remember are these men driving up to me and-ugh, what’s with the net?”

 “We’ll explain that later. Right now, we need to run.” Annie said as she pulled at the net to get her free. Darren pushed her aside and tore apart the net with his telekinesis.

 “But wha-Ahhh!” Debbie screamed as she saw a giant dark figure looming over them. Looking up, the twins saw Flamewar grinning down at them through a hole in the ceiling.

 “Back off, Flamewar! We beat your deadline!” Darren yelled at her. Debbie looked at her brother in shock. How was he not afraid of this…thing?”

 “Oh, Darren,” Flamewar chuckled, like he was some bad student who got an easy question wrong. “The challenge wasn’t for you to find your sister before twelve. It was to save her. And time’s up.”

 Darren didn’t wait for Flamewar to make her move. “RUN!”

 The girls ran past Darren as he summoned his power and shattered all the mirrors in the funhouse, surrounding his body in a thick barrier of glass shards. No matter what happened now, he wasn’t going to let Flamewar take his family, or friends, again!

XXXXXX

 The energo-net was deceptively hard to cut through, even with heated chainsaws, and it took them almost eleven minutes to properly cut through it before they finally managed to completely cut it apart and pull it off Arcee.

 Aries looked at the monitor and saw Darren fighting off Flamewar. It was only a matter of time before Flamewar was done playing with her prey, and he needed to get this operation over with as soon as possible. “We only have time to take one part.” He said and nodded to the scientist. “Go straight for the heart.”

 The scientist nodded and grabbed a titanium drill to switch it on. As he lowered it towards Arcee’s chest, her eyes snapped open and she jumped up, punching the man with the drill. One full powered punch from her was enough to cave in his chest cavity and break his entire rib cage. She flipped to her feat and ducked under the heat beam Aries fired at her and punched away the other soldiers shooting at her.

 Aries followed her large form through the smoke and took a breath to fire just as Arcee tore up a panel from the floor and threw it at her. Unprepared, Aries took the panel straight to the head and stumbled back in pain.

 He growled and tried to fire his beam, but instead of firing one complete beam from his head, he felt the air around him heat up before exploding in his face. The blast sent Aries crashing into the monitor and crumpling to the floor. Holding his third eye in pain, Aries glared at the pink Autobot as she ran out of the warehouse and switched to vehicle mode.

 The soldiers tried to follow her, but he had them stand down. “Let her go! No matter the outcome, the spoils will be ours!”

XXXXXX

 “Annie, seriously, what was that thing?” Debbie asked as Annie dragged her through the park. “How did you two know its name?”

 “Sis, I’m happy to have you back safe and sound, but keep the questions for later on when we’re safe. For now, just shut up and run!” Annie yelled.

The building they just ran past exploded behind them and Darren came flying out of the smoke and wood splinters, hitting the ground on his shoulder. Flamewar leaped over the building at him and he jumped aside as she slammed down behind him. Large shards of glass big enough to impale a car hovered around his body and he threw one at Flamewar’s head, which she swatted aside. Flamewar raised her crossbow, but felt something hit the side of her head. It was a rock…thrown by Debbie.

 “Did…you just throw a rock at me?” Flamewar asked, astonished that the woman actually tried that with her.

 “Yes.” Debbie nodded.

 “You do know I’m made of metal, right?”

 “I know, but this is what we humans call a distraction.”

 Flamewar’s eyes widened and she spun around to see a long glass spear shot at her. The spear stabbed into her right eye, right into her optical sensor, and she fell back, clutching her ruined eye. She howled like a wounded animal and snarled at the children.

 “You little bastard!” She spat and made to lunge at Darren. Before she could reach him, a pink blur jumped over the building and she felt a fist slam into her face, sending her crashing into the roller coaster track. Arcee stood protectively in front of Darren in her robot mode, swords ready.

 “Don’t even think about it.” Arcee growled.

 Flamewar chuckled, wiping energon from her split lip. “Arcee, I should’ve known. OZ couldn’t hold Lugnut, so what were the odds those morons could hold onto you?”

 She fired a bolt from her crossbow and Arcee dodged it and ran forward. Flamewar brought out her arm blade and parried the sword strike from Arcee. The two femmes fought furiously, sparks and laser bolts flying around without control. Darren yelped as a laser blast hit the ground next to him and ran over to his sisters.

 “We need to move before the fireworks start.” He said. Debbie looked at Arcee with wide eyes.

 “Who is she?” She squeaked.

 “A good friend of ours.” Annie answered.

 Flamewar ducked under a slash from Arcee and kicked her in the chest. At the corner of her remaining eye, she saw the Radcliffe siblings making a run for it down the street.

 “You’re not getting away from me this time!” Flamewar sprinted at the humans faster than Arcee could reach her.

 “Darren, behind you!” Arcee shouted.

 Darren spun around and saw Flamewar charging at them, almost on top of them. He prepared himself to do whatever it took to make sure Flamewar never laid a finger on his sisters ever again, though he had no idea how to fight her one on one. Fortunately for him, he didn’t have to do anything. A missile shot from above hit Flamewar in the shoulder and sent her sprawling across the ground. Arcee blinked and saw a green fighter jet with red highlights fly over them.

 “Skyfire?” She gaped. She heard the flyer’s laugh over the comm.

 “ _Your knight in shining armor is here for ya princess!”_ Skyfire cheered. She circled around and fired her auto cannons at Flamewar, pelting her with ceramic bullets that tore into her armor.

 Flamewar cursed and backed away, knowing she wouldn’t last long against a flyer. Shooting Arcee one last baleful look, she quickly transformed into her newly scanned terran based form-a black motorcycle with flame decals-and sped away.

 This was all seen by Aries, who stared at the screen in shock.

 “Reinforcements? But how…?” Aries growled. He racked his memory for anything the children could’ve done to alert the Autobots and remembered when Darren touched his watch as he ran past him to find Debbie. It was only for a few seconds, but for a moment it looked like he pressed a- “Button. That brat called for help using some custom alien tech. The clever little bastard.”

 Despite himself, Aries found himself smirking and snapped his fingers, shutting off the lights. It seemed he wasn’t getting any consolation prizes tonight.

XXXXXX

 Darren reminded himself to thank High Wire for giving him that watch, because it was a life saver. By a stroke of luck, the distress signal was detected by Comettor, who was powerlinked with Skyfire as she was flying in high orbit over Osea. They pinpointed his location after suffering from some electromagnetic disturbance and wasted no time in coming to their aid. They arrived in the nick of time, and Darren couldn’t have been more thankful.

 Arcee stood over by the warehouse, standing guard over the Radcliffe siblings. Darren and Annie were quietly explaining the situation to Debbie, who was just now starting to calm down from all the craziness that happened tonight. Skyfire and Comettor exited the warehouse looking not too happy.

 “Arcee,” Comettor said. “We have some bad news.”

 She held a hand up. “Let me guess…without a trace?” They both nodded and she made a frustrated grunt. “Slag. As if anything good can come out of this.”

 Skyfire jerked a thumb at the humans. “So what are we gonna do about the girl? You know Prowler isn’t gonna be happy that we got another human knowin’ about us.”

 “I know, but it can’t be helped.” Arcee sighed. “All we can do now is explain the situation to her the same way we did the children.”

 Arcee walked over to the siblings, getting their attention. The twins looked deeply grateful for her help, while Debbie looked…a bit wary, but not entirely afraid. That was a start.

 “So,” Debbie said softly. “She’s one of those Autobots you were talking about?”

 “Yup, she is.” Darren smiled up at Arcee. “Autobot, guardian…friend.”

 “My name is Arcee.” The pink Autobot smiled at Debbie, getting to one knee to speak to her better. Debbie stood up and smiled up at Arcee.

 “Hello, Arcee.” She said, holding out a hand. Arcee placed her finger in her palm, accepting the offer of friendship. “Thank you for saving us.”

 Annie clapped her hands. “Well, now that we got that out of the way,” She grinned. “How about we show you someplace really cool, sis?”

 Debbie blinked at Annie. What else could be cooler than trading thanks with an alien robot?

XXXXXX

 The next day, after resting from their harrowing trip, the twins introduced High Wire and Grindor to Debbie officially. Like with Arcee, Debbie took an instant liking to them, probably because they didn’t tower over her. In fact, she thought they were kind of cute.

 Once the introductions were taken care of, Arcee picked them up and transported them through the ground bridge. Debbie almost got sick from the disorienting first trip through the portal, but once her vision stopped swimming, she marveled at the glorious sight around her.

 She was inside a massive alien ship, with the walls made of gold alloy more polished than the purest gold on Terra. High tech computers and little gadgets could be seen everywhere and Debbie could only guess at their various functions. Debbie stood up and walked around, her mouth hanging open in pure, unfiltered awe.

 Then she saw something even more amazing. Giant robots from another world, real life aliens, standing there before her in their undisguised glory. They all were like Arcee, but bigger and different appearance wise. She loved how they all looked, but the one that caught her eye was the tall red and blue mech walking up to her, looking like the strongest of the bunch.

 Darren and Annie stepped up to their older sister wearing matching grins. “Debbie, meet out after school science fiction club-the Autobots.” Darren said.

 Optimus knelt down to Debbie’s level and spoke in his usual deep but gentle voice. “Welcome to the Ark, Debbie Radcliffe.”

 Debbie was honestly too shocked to say anything. What do you say to the leader of an alien race that knows your younger siblings on a personal level? She said the first thing that came to mind.

 “I come in peace.”


	20. Polarity

Chapter 19-Polarity

 Debbie Radcliffe always thought that having an esper brother was an odd experience. Things would randomly float off the table and shelves during the night (which happened whenever Darren was sleeping), sometimes she would catch him levitating a chair or a ball out of boredom, and more extreme cases was when Darren would control the water coming from the sink and bathtub. She got used to it, of course, and made sure he was being safe with them, but looking back on it, it was still a pretty strange thing to live with.

 But that paled in comparison to the secret her little siblings were hiding from her. Making first contact with aliens and actually spending their afterschool time in a giant alien ship? How were they able to keep all this a secret?

 Two days after almost getting killed by that psychotic huntress, the children introduced her to the Autobots, and now Gina was giving her a quick tour of the Ark with her Minicon partner Sureshock. It was a new experience talking to the human-sized robots-Minicons-that who were living out of a wing of the east wing of the Ark. it was odd how at home the children were with the Minicons and Autobots, who were just as amazing and varied as they were when she first met them.

 Optimus Prime, the biggest of the group, but also the most gentle. He reminded her so much of her father and grandfather, brave and noble, as well as kind and gentle when they needed to be. Prowl was a bit more stand-offish and hard to talk to, though Annie assured her he was like that to everyone, even his own team. Ironhide was no different, though his tough exterior was mostly a front to hide a soft heart for friends and comrades. Wheeljack was an odd person but sociable and friendly, though she was worried about his tendency to make things go boom.

 Bulkhead was Annie’s best alien friend (her “BAF” if one were to head her ramblings) and Debbie could see that her sister had the big imposing mech wrapped around her little finger. Bumblebee was another friendly mech who loved learning more about Terra, courtesy of info session from Gina to keep him up to date on terran history and culture. Then there was Jazz, the stylish, music-loving mech who was more in love with Terra than Bumblebee. Ratchet, the medic who was like a stern but caring grandfather who knew how to do his job (and she noticed Gina liked to act as his assistant and student sometimes). Skyfire, the flirt and braggart who seemed a bit full of herself, but for good reason, and had a heart of gold.

 And then there was Arcee, the kind and sweet femme who saved her family’s life. Debbie didn’t know her for long, but she was forever grateful for what the pink Autobot did to rescue her.

 “And here’s the Minicon/human area of the ship.” Gina said as they entered one of the rooms reserved for Minicon and human use. The place looked a bit like a community area Debbie saw in downtown Tranquility. There were chairs and tables, a computer station with a large TV monitor installed into the wall and a small bar where the Minicons drank energon. “This is our little command center where the Minicons live and work to help the Autobots find the rest of their crew around the world.”

 “This is amazing. So this is what you’ve been doing afterschool.” Debbie breathed. “Unbelievable.”

 “Yeah, hard to process, huh?” Annie said as she rolled in on Grindor. “But once the shock factor wears off, you get used to it.”

 Debbie doubted that, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she focused on something that concerned her. “Why are you helping the in the first place? They’re giant alien soldiers who can change into cars. Why involve you with all these evil Decepticons and murderous terrorist groups?” She shook her head. “It’s all too dangerous for a bunch of kids.”

 “To be fair, Debbie, it’s our fault that the Cons are after the Minicons in the first place.” Gina said. “We didn’t know what we were getting into when we discovered Sparkplug’s Minicon escape pod in the mountain, and we pretty much put Terra on the Decepticons’ radar with that distress signal. Besides, the Minicons aren’t warriors, Debbie. They’re just refugees trying to escape a war.”

 The war, just hearing the thought made Debbie scowl. Just when she was getting comfortable, that one word reminded her of why she was so wary of letting the children around the Autobots. War was what took her father and mother from her, and the last thing she wanted was to lose Darren and Annie the same way.

 Arcee left the armory with Peppercat on her shoulder and greeted the children. “Hey, Debbie.”

 “Arcee.” Debbie nodded up to her.

 “I’d love to talk but I’ve got a mission to get started on.” Arcee called the boys over. “Darren, Kevin, we’re heading out.”

 “Sure thing, Arcee.” Darren said as he walked over to them with Kevin and D-Va. Debbie blinked at them.

 “Heading out?” She echoed. “Where are you going?”

 “Recon duty.” Arcee answered. “The kids help us out on our missions sometimes and keep us company.”

 Debbie didn’t like the sound of that. “Missions? Darren, don’t tell me you get involved in the fighting.”

 “It’s not like that, sis,” Annie said. “This is recon, just a little searching for energon deposits across the world. It’s just some driving around with a scanner in hand in far off lands like Elladas and Belka. Nothing dangerous about that at all.”

 “And if things do get hairy, then we send them back via the ground bridge.” Arcee said.

 “If there’s nothing dangerous about it, then why do you need them with you? From the looks of it, you have enough company as it is.” Debbie said, pointing at Peppercat, who was rolling around chasing her tail.

 “I know that, but we can’t keep the kids cooped up in the Ark forever.” Arcee replied, starting to et annoyed.

 Peppercat looked up and poked Debbie, shocking her with her plug-like fingers. Debbie yelped and jumped back. “What was that for?!”

 “Debbie, don’t make a big deal about this. Us going along is totally different.” Darren said.

 “Oh? In what way? Because you’re an esper?” Debbie said.

 “You know what? Your sister’s right, Darren.” Arcee sighed and picked up Peppercat into her hands. “Since she knows everything, I should probably leave you and Kevin behind. Wouldn’t do to put you two in danger.”

 Darren stood there gaping as Arcee walked away. He frowned and glared at Debbie, who looked puzzled.

 “What did I say?” Debbie asked confused. Darren shook his head and marched out the room, leaving her with the other Minicons. When she noticed them all staring, she growled at them. “What are you all looking at? Show’s over!”

 Kevin shook his head and whispered, “I’m so glad I’m an only child.”

 Gina nodded. “Amen to that.”

 Arcee marched into the shuttle bay where Jazz and Roadstorm were waiting for her to disembark. Roadstorm was lounging against Jazz’s foot listening to some smooth jazz (heh) he downloaded directly into his brain, lazily waving to Arcee as she approached them. jazz noticed the irritated look on his partner’s face.

 “You doin’ okay, Cee?” He asked. “You lookin’ a bit salty.’

 “I’m fine, Jazz. Just fine.” Arcee grunted. “Can we get going, please?”

 “Sure thing.” Jazz knew well enough to let her calm down first before prying further. Never poke an agitated tigress within biting distance.

 “Not so fast, you two.” Longarm, standing on a newly invented hovercraft made for traversing the ship easier created by Wheeljack, flew up to them. “Teletran just detected a strange reading in the Senca Mountains.”

 “How strange?” Arcee asked.

 “Strange as in a magnetic anomaly that’s growing by the second. I know you two were planning on doing recon, but-“

 “Don’t worry, little dude. We’ll check it out. Just fire up the bridge and we’re off.” Jazz said.

 Longarm steered his platform over to the console and pressed the button that activated the ground bridge. With their Minicons in tow, Arcee and Jazz transformed and drove into the vortex to their destination.

XXXXXX

 On the Nemesis, that same anomaly was detected by Soundwave, who reported it to Megatron, who was very pleased with this new development.

 “I recognize this type of anomaly. If it’s caused by the weapon I believe it to be, then it’s paramount we get it first.” Megatron said. He was about to call Nightshade in when someone else volunteered for the mission.

 “Lord Megatron, I wish to retrieve the weapon for you.”

 Megatron scowled and glared at Lugnut, who knelt before him. He remembered how Nightshade and Blackout went against orders and rescued Lugnut, which sparked a heated argument between them that ended with Nightshade still defending her reasons for the mission. It would’ve come to blows had Soundwave not broken them up.

 “Why should I choose you, Lugnut?” Megatron asked. “When you, one of my strongest warriors, was taken down by humans.”

 “It is because of my loss that I wish to partake in this endeavor alone.” Lugnut raised his head, revealing his new orange colored prosthetic eye implanted to replace his lost eye. “What I have lost that night is punishment enough for failing you. Rest assured, I will not do so again.”

XXXXXX

 The Senca Mountains was a chain of mountains in the northwest that was home to a diverse range of climates. It was home to small snow covered mountains, wide forests and a large lake that was in the center of the valley. It was a truly picturesque area, but one alien visitor didn’t care about the scenery.

 Lugnut trudged through the rocky canyon where the magnetic disturbance was detected. Each step he took made the ground tremble and it reflected his grim mood. On the ground, his Minicons partner Search drove along in his vehicle mode searching for the energy signal with his radar dish.

 “So,” Search began, not really liking the silence. He was used to Lugnut prattling on about Decepticon glory and all that slag, but he hadn’t really been himself since that unfortunate encounter with the humans. “How was your day? Mine was great, I tried hitting on Songbird earlier and stuff, but she was like “No, let me brood here in the corner for another solar cycle” but I was like “Come on, girl, you gotta let me get a piece of tha-“

 “We did not come here to chat.” Lugnut growled. “We came here to retrieve something for Lord Megatron. Now shut up and do your job.”

 “Okay, fine.” Search grumbled. He increased power to his sensors and managed to get a reading. “Found something. It’s just over that hill.”

 Lugnut nodded and climbed up the hill, sliding down the other side into the little canyon he found himself in and took out his mace. Search transformed and pointed to a certain spot near the hill. The Minicon ran to the side as Lugnut began pounding away at the stone with his weapon, sending rocks and dirt flying everywhere. It wasn’t long before Lugnut managed to uncover his target.

 It was a gauntlet of some kind, like an unfinished handle to a much larger weapon with two buttons on the sides of the hand guard. Lugnut reached into the hole and picked it up.

 “What is that thing?” Search asked.

 “I…do not know.” Lugnut answered, also confused as to what this weapon was.

 “You shouldn’t play around with things you’re too stupid to understand.” A cocky voice sang behind him.

 Lugnut spun around, deploying his shoulder cannon. He saw no one there, but he knew he was being watched and remained on high alert. He heard some rocks shift behind up and looked up the hill to see a black and red femme grinning down at him.

 “Hello there!” Flamewar said.

 Flamewar jumped down and kicked Lugnut in the face, knocking him back and making him drop the gauntlet. She ran forward and caught the device, looking it over with greedy eyes.

 “This looks expensive.” She noted. “I wonder what it does.”

 Pain erupted in her arm as she was hit in the side by a massive swing from Lugnut’s mace. She hit the ground but still kept a hold on the gauntlet, jumping to her feet and leaping back to gain some distance. The two Cons faced each other.

 “I’ve heard of a rogue Con roaming this land.” Lugnut said. “I shall defeat you and bring your battered form to Lord Megatron to show him my worthiness of his honor.”

 “Oh shut up and suck a cog wheel, you sappy fool.” Flamewar snorted.

 Lugnut roared and charged at her with his mace. Flamewar grinned and leapt at him with her arm blades extended. Search stood back and watched the fireworks go off. This was going to be fun.

XXXXXX

 Jazz and Arcee walked through the rocky plains of the Senca Mountains in silence. The tense silence and almost tangible agitation from Arcee unsettled Roadstorm, who was begging for something to distract him from Peppercat’s constant jittering. No sane femme should be acting like they chugged down two gallons of kremzeek and still form coherent thoughts.

 “So, you gonna tell me what has you in a tizzy?” Jazz asked, scanning the area intently. “O are you going to stew in your anger for the rest of the mission?” When Arcee remained silent, he continued. “Cee, what did I tell you about letting your anger reign?”

 “It clouds your throughs and makes you do stupid things you wouldn’t normally do.” She sighed.

 “And it’s certainly not going to help you on this mission. So you might as well tell me what’s going on.” Jazz said. Arcee gave him a look and sighed.

 “It’s Debbie. I know she’s worried about Annie and Darren, for good reason, but she’s just so…suffocating.” Arcee said. “I mean, Darren and I do recon all the time and she constantly thinks I’m taking him into a freaking warzone.”

 “Everything you guys touch does have a habit of exploding.” Roadstorm muttered, earning a finger flick from Jazz. Arcee ignored him and continued her rant.

 “I’ve been protecting them before she even had a clue about what was going on. Suddenly she wakes up and I’m not good enough.”

 “Cee,” Jazz stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “If this bothers you so much, then just talk to her. Make an effort to speak about your feelings instead of ranting about it like an angry nitrotiger.” He told her. “Keeping these feelings bottled up won’t make you any younger. It’ll just lead to an early death.”

 Arcee pursed her lips and nodded. “Yeah…you’re right. Thanks, Jazz.”

 “Anything for my favorite student.” Jazz smiled.

 “I’m your only student.”

 “I know.” He smirked.

 “Hush!” Peppercat hissed. The two Autobots went quiet as the feline Minicon ran forward and hopped atop a boulder. “I hear noises-loud ones, nya.” Her ears wiggled as she pointed deeper into the canyon. “I see two Cons fighting, nya.”

 Arcee and Jazz traded glances before they climbed the rocky slope to see the fight. It was Flamewar and Lugnut fighting each other ferociously with the mixture of brute force and tactical skill common in all Cons.

 Flamewar attacked with quick attacks and blasts from her blaster arm, pelting Lugnut’s thick armor with plasma blasts that burned his armor on impact. Lugnut ignored the stings of his burnt armor chipping off as he swung his mace at her with astounding speed to force her back a certain distance. He fired missiles from his shoulder cannon whenever she was within his sights to keep her on her toes.

 “Flamewar and Lugnut, what a coincidence.” Roadstorm said. Arcee narrowed her eyes.

 “Yes, but I don’t know if this is a blessing or a curse.” She said.

 Jazz magnified his visor’s vision and saw the gauntlet the Cons were fighting over. It was in Lugnut’s possession, but Flamewar was dead set on snatching it from his grasp. He didn’t need any preliminary scans to know that device was what they came here for.

 “And there’s the source of the magnetic disturbance.” Jazz said. He nodded at Arcee. “You wanna crash the party?”

 “Do you have to ask?” She smirked.

 Flamewar ducked under Lugnut’s mace and kneed him in the chin before punching him in the eye. The mech hissed in pain as his very sensitive component erupted in burning pain that stalled him. Flamewar smirked and picked up the gauntlet he dropped, placing it over her hand.

 “This is just the perfect gift for a girl like me. I deserve a little something for all the slag I’ve been through.” Flamewar chuckled.

 “The only thing you deserve is chains, you traitor!” Lugnut growled. Flamewar rolled her eyes and walked over to him.

 “Spare me the scare tactics, Lugnut. I’m not low ranking Autobot rookie who jumps at her own shadow.” She said and pointed the gauntlet at his face. “How about we give this thing a test run to see how effective it is on big, dumb Cons who don’t know any better?”

 “No you don’t!” Search drove up to her and fired his arm cannons at her. Two laser blasts hit Flamewar’s hand and knocked the weapon from her grasp.

 “You little brat!”

 Before she could make good on her threat to decapitate the Minicon, Jazz and Arcee chose to enter the party. Jazz took Arcee into his arms and threw her high into the air. She flew through the air and in her descent opened fire on the two Cons with her pistols, forcing them apart. Jazz slid down the hill firing his photon rifle at Lugnut with Roadstorm linked to his arm. The pair landed between the two adversaries, ready to fight.

 “I wish I could say it’s nice to see you, honey,” Flamewar glowered. “But then I’d be lying.”

 “Wouldn’t be the first time.” Arcee said.

 “Leave, Autobots!” Lugnut growled. “This does not concern you!”

 “Anything that involves you, big guy, is our business.” Jazz replied. “Let’s get it!”

 The Autobots charged at their opponents and attacked. Arcee leapt at Flamewar, firing her pistols. Flamewar rolled to the side and returned fire, though Arcee quickly closed the distance between them and slashed her flaming sword at her head. The huntress barely dodged it and lashed back with her arm blades, but Arcee grabbed her arm and punched her in the face, leaving a thin cut across her cheek.

 Jazz danced around Lugnut with a series of jumps and flips that Lugnut could barely track. Lugnut swung his mace every which way trying to hit the Autobot, but he couldn’t even graze him. Jazz fired his cryo-emitter at Lugnut’s lower torso before jumping in close to deliver a punch to his frozen armor.

 “Ngh!” Lugnut flinched as the stinging cold. “Stand still, Autobot!”

 “That’s not how it works, bro!” Jazz laughed.

 Lugnut swung his mace one more time, but Jazz grappled it with his hook and pulled hard, wrenching it free from Lugnut’s hands. He swung the heavy weapon around his body and threw it back at the Con, hitting him right in the face with the thick blunt end of the mace, knocking him over and into dreamland. Seeing his partner have trouble, Search ran to his aid.

 “I got ya, big gu-ahh!”

 Search was thrown to the ground as Peppercat pounced on his back and pushed him face first into the dirt. He tried to push her off, but she flipped off him, grabbing his shoulders and using her body weight to throw him into a boulder. He stood up and fired his arm cannons, but she skillfully dodged the plasma blasts fired at her and leapt at him.

 Before Search knew it, he was being assaulted by lightning fast punches and kicks that he couldn’t even follow, and then took a sharp kick to the face that knocked him back to the ground. Peppercat dug her plug-like extensions into his head and painfully electrocuted him. Peppercat had more than enough electricity to burn off on him.

 Flamewar and Arcee continued their dance of death. Like their previous battles, they were evenly matched in skill and weaponry, and neither femme gained an upper hand on the other. That is, until Flamewar spotted the gauntlet sitting by the fighting Minicons. She smirked at Arcee and kicked her in the chest, jumping into the air and firing a grapple from her wrist to snatch the gauntlet up.

 “Slag!” Arcee ran at her before she used the gauntlet. She had no idea what that thing could do, but she knew on some level that it was dangerous in the hands of a psycho like Flamewar.

 “Let’s try this for a test run, shall we?” Flamewar pressed a button near the handle and the gauntlet powered up, forming an energy globe around her hand. Humming appreciatively, she pointed the gauntlet at Peppercat and Search and fired a magnetic pulse that trapped them in a powerful magnetic field, lifting them off the ground.

 “Flamewar!” Arcee roared, leaping at her.

 Flamewar smirked and positioned the Minicons in front of her before turning the dial on the gauntlet and repelling the magnetic wave in the Autobot’s direction. The two Minicons hit Arcee in the chest and the wave crashed into her with great force, sending her flying into the canyon wall.

 “Cee!” Jazz ran at Flamewar, firing his cryo blaster. She dodged the icy blasts and when he leapt at her, she caught him in another magnetic field.

 “I’m so sick of your little acrobatic routine.” Flamewar smirked. “Maybe you should be a dear and sit still for a while.”

 Flamewar threw Jazz into a pile of boulders, causing them to dislodge and bury him in the ensuing rockslide. Laughing at the power this little gauntlet held, she twirled it on her finger giddily. As much as she wanted to finish the job, it was probably best that she move before something ruined her good mood.

 “I’ll be seeing you all in hell, my dears!” Flamewar saluted and folded into her motorcycle mode, speeding away from the battleground, not noticing Lugnut starting to wake up from his little nap.

XXXXXX

 Debbie momentarily forgot how massive the ship was as she looked for Darren, but thanks to High Wire’s help, she managed to navigate the Ark’s vast golden halls and located her little brother in Wheeljack’s workshop. The boy was working with Roll Bar and Liftor on some large device that looked like a slightly more advanced version of a generator of some kind. After studying the odd looking device for a second, she cleared her throat, getting the trio’s attention.

 “Hey,” Debbie smiled sheepishly. “Can I borrow Darren for a minute?”

 “Well, we’re kinda busy building this new generator for Wheeljack and we need Darren to move it-ow!”

 Liftor smiled at Darren after whacking Roll Bar up the head. “Go on, Darren. We can keep working without you.”

 Darren sighed and left the room with his sister, leaving the two Minicons to argue in hushed whispers. He gave them at least ten minutes before something exploded in their faces.

 The two siblings walked down the hall at a slow pace, neither knowing how to clear the air between them. Debbie glanced at Darren, who was looking anywhere but at her, and she sighed.

 “Have I said anything wrong?” She asked, earning a confused look from him. “I mean, did I offend the Autobots or something? If this is about what happened earlier, I’m sorry. I was just saying that they could do all that dangerous stuff alone since they’re, you know…giant robots.”

 “They’re not robots, Debbie. The politically correct term is mechanical aliens.” Darren said. “And no, you didn’t offend Arcee…I think. But just because they’re big and powerful doesn’t mean that they don’t need our help. Annie, Gina and I helped the Bots locate and rescue nearly a dozen Minicons since we met them. We’re actually helping people, and through it all I’ve gotten better with my powers.”

 Debbie definitely noticed the difference in that regard. Darren had become more skilled with his powers, moving things with natural ease and with astounding speed. To show her how precise he was, he telekinetically pulled a thin strip of metal from the floor and easily split the metal into smaller strips like it was plastic. Debbie stared at him in awe at how fluid he performed the move and smiled a bit when he shaped the metal into a tightly woven heart and levitated it into her hands.

 “Thank you, Darren.” She said softly, but got back to the topic at hand. “Look, I know you’ve done a lot for them, but did you forget how that girl-“

 “Femme.”

 “Whatever!” Debbie sighed and turned to face her brother fully. “We were almost killed by that freak with the crossbow just so she could get back at Arcee. I know you love these Autobots, Darren, but I don’t want you or Annie getting hurt for something you didn’t do.”

 Darren chose to refrain from telling her about the many near death experiences he and the girls had over the past few months and tried a different approach. “But they’ve done a good job keeping us safe. The Autobots have our safety in the forefront of their minds all the time. Anything that happens to us is our fault, not theirs.”

 He placed a hand on Debbie’s shoulder. “You should trust them more. There is no place safer than with the Autobots.”

 The brother-sister pair stared each other in the eyes and Debbie knew how serious he was. It was amazing how different the boy standing before her was compared to the quiet and uncertain boy he used to be back then. Working with the Autobots certainly helped with his self confidence.

 “Okay, then. Since you’re so insistent that the Autobots can take care of you, then I’ll take your word for it. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop doting over you and Annie. You two are my baby siblings, after all.” Debbie smiled.

 Darren hugged his sister. “That’s all I’m asking for, Debbie.”

 After a minute, Debbie frowned. “I supposed I should also apologize to Arcee. She looked a bit miffed earlier.”

 “That would be wise. Be glad she doesn’t hold a grudge.” Darren said.

 A loud boom cut their talk short, followed by shouting from Roll Bar and Liftor. Darren shook his head-it took them nine minutes to blow themselves up. A new record.

XXXXXX

 Jazz pushed the rocks off him with a grunt and crawled out of the pile with a dusty Roadstorm in his hands. “You okay there, little dude?”

 “Got dust in my servos and my head’s ringing-all in all, I’m just peachy.” Roadstorm growled.

 Jazz stood up and pulled his leg free and looked around for Arcee. “Cee! You alright? Sound off!”

 “Jazz, I’m over here!” Arcee called out. “But I have a bit of a…situation on my hands.”

 Jazz ran over to where he saw Arcee sitting on the ground with a frown on her face. He was about to inquire to her condition when he saw the reason she was so cross. Peppercat and Search were stuck to her legs, their backs stuck to her thighs by some powerful force.

 “In case you’re wondering: yes, I did try to get them off. It didn’t work.” Arcee said dryly.

 “Don’t see that every day.” Roadstorm whistled.

 “Should I dare ask how this happened?” Jazz asked.

 “I was hit by the Minicons when Flamewar hit me with that damn gauntlet. They’re stuck to me and I can’t pull them loose.” Arcee said, standing up. Peppercat was trying to wriggle free, but Search just hung there like a limp noodle, not even trying to escape.

 “This certainly counts as one of the more embarrassing moments of my life.” Search droned.

 “We should kill the bastard before he calls for help, nya!” Peppercat hissed.

 “Whoa, whoa, hold on there! I’m a victim here, I can’t really do anything to you that won’t get me killed as well.” Search said. Peppercat merely hissed and tried to pull free.

 Arcee sighed, gaining the early signs of a headache as she called Longarm up. She explained the situation to him, as well as the weapon that caused it, and he in turn called Ratchet over for a more detail analysis of her condition.

 “ _A polarity gauntlet.”_ Ratchet hummed. _“A deceptively simple but diabolical weapon. It manipulates natural magnetic forces in the environment with the push of a button. Considering that we’re made of metal, it’s a very dangerous weapon when used against us.”_

“I’m guessing Pepper and Search being stuck to Arcee’s trunk is because of magnetism?” Roadstorm asked.

_“Most likely. The gauntlet must have increased the magnetic forces between your bodies when you collided with each other. It could probably wear off on its own, but I’d rather have the weapon that caused it to reverse its effects.”_

“Easier said than done, doc. The gauntlet’s with Flamewar, and she’s long gone.” Jazz said.

_“I can still track the gauntlet’s readings. It’s not too far from your position, but you better hurry.”_

Search groaned. “If only Lugnut was here…hey, where is Lugnut?

XXXXXX

 Flamewar drove through the valley that went on for miles through the mountains. Though she passed by one of the most beautiful natural sights in the country, her mind was on others things-namely escape. Hanging on one of her handlebars was the polarity gauntlet. She had to get as far away from those meddling Autobots and that dumb Con as much as possible lest she lose her new toy.

 ‘With this on hand, I won’t have to worry about either Bots or Cons.’ Flamewar thought happily.

 Sadly, her elation was cut short when a dark green and black bomber plane flew right over her. She skidded to a stop as the large aircraft flew past her and dived to the ground, reconfiguring into a very angry Lugnut. Flamewar tried to transform, but she wasn’t fast enough to avoid Lugnut’s mighty swing of his mace, hitting her dead center and flinging her across the valley into a steep gravel slope. The blow forced her back into robot mode and the gauntlet fell into a pond.

 “Time for round two!” Lugnut charged at Flamewar, intent on crushing her chassis into scrap. Flamewar rolled out of the way of another hammer strike and fired a laser bolt at his face, which he dodged, to her surprise. “I know all of your tricks, witch. You will not get me again!”

 “Then how about this?” Flamewar fired a net from her wrist and it wrapped around Lugnut’s head, blinding him and trapping his mouth shut. He fumbled around, trying to pull it off, but this special batch was made for slippery prey. “How’s that for a hat trick?”

 Not too far from their location, Jazz ran across the rocky terrain, tracking the gauntlet’s potent magnetic signal. Seeing that they were getting close to it, he was relieved to see that Flamewar didn’t get too far, or else Lugnut would’ve gotten to it first.

 “Stop right there, Autobot!”

 Jazz froze and looked over his shoulder to see Flamewar standing on top of a small hill, the polarity gauntlet pointed at him. Behind her, Lugnut was on his knees still trying to get the net off his face.

 “Disengage your Minicons or I turn you into a life-sized energon cube!” She commanded. Jazz’s smirk was unseen by her as he took Roadstorm off his arm and placed him on the ground.

 “What are you doing?” Roadstorm asked quietly.

 “Trust me.” Jazz whispered back.

 “Good. Raise your hands and turn around. I don’t want you trying anything funny.”

 “Funny, that’s what all my friends say when I invite them over for happy hour.” Jazz said. He raised his hands and snapped his fingers. Arcee leapt over the hill and slammed her shoulder into Flamewar’s back, violently jostling the Minicons on her legs. The gauntlet was knocked from Flamewar’s hand and hit the ground, landing right on the button. At that point, all the bots in the area found themselves being drawn towards the gauntlet’s powerful magnetic pull, one that felt like they were getting dragged down by the planet itself. Lugnut was the closest, and as he neared the gauntlet, he finally tore off the net and grabbed the gauntlet, pressing the button to stop its pull.

 “That’s better.” Jazz said. Roadstorm powerlinked with him, but he didn’t shift his arm into his weapon yet. He faced off against Lugnut, while Arcee faced Flamewar, who looked at her current appearance with no small amount of amusement.

 “How did-“

 “Don’t talk, just fight!” Arcee growled. She didn’t need her ex ribbing her on this.

 “Lugnut, help me!” Search yelled. “They have me prisoner and are threatening to torture me if I don’t stop talking!”

 “Shut up or I’ll rip out your voice box, nya!” Peppercat hissed.

 “See what I mean?!”

 Lugnut said nothing, but he planned to get his Minicon back from the clutches of those accursed Autobots. With his mace in one hand and the polarity gauntlet in the other, he growled and beckoned Jazz to come at him.

 Round two of this odd three-way battle began. Jazz and Arcee charged their respective opponents at once. Jazz flipped through the air and fired his photon rifle at Lugnut. The Con roared and charged at Jazz, swinging his mace violently. The saboteur ducked and dodged the large weapon that could cave his chest in with a single strike and did a spin kick to knock Lugnut back. The brute took his hits with ease, but he could barely lay a finger on the agile mech.

 Arcee and Flamewar fought as they always did, but the added weight of Arcee’s unwanted passengers slowed her down. Flamewar swept her feet from under her and she felt on her right side, nearly crushing Peppercat under her weight. She landed awkwardly to avoid hurting her Minicon, but Flamewar kicked her unprotected left side, mostly hitting Search, who was dishing out curses at both femmes for his pain.

 “You’re moving a little slow there, Cee.” Flamewar smirked. “Did you gain some weight?”

 “Don’t even go there!” Arcee growled.

 Arcee lashed out with a punch to her face, but Flamewar spun around to launch a kick at Peppercat. Unfortunately for her, Peppercat was fast enough to grab her foot and deliver a painful shock into the captured limb. Flamewar jumped back in pain and stumbled as she realized her foot was numb.

 “Good job, Peppercat.” Arcee praised.

 Peppercat’s eyes lit up as she smiled. “Anytime, nya.”

 Jazz and Lugnut were engaged in a violent version of keep away. The cyber-ninja was trying to grab the gauntlet, but Lugnut was keeping him at arm’s length. He tried hitting Jazz with the butt of his mace, but Jazz leaned back and kicked it from his hands. He leaped up and elbowed Lugnut in the head, but Lugnut caught his arm and threw him into the ground.

 Lugnut used the gauntlet to magnetically lift his mace and throw it at Jazz. It hit the Autobot in the chest and sent him flying through the air, slamming into Arcee and sending both Autobots crashing into the slope. Flamewar looked at Lugnut, who fired a missle at her.

 “I’ve had enough of you!” Lugnut growled. He charged at Flamewar, but stopped when he heard Search give a happy cry.

 “I’m free!” Search cheered. He was covered in dirt and dents but he was free from his magnetic bond with Arcee, as was Peppercat. “Praise the Allspark!”

 “Shut up and link with me, Search!” Lugnut snarled.

 “Okay, okay, no need to be testy.” Search transformed and sped up to Lugnut, linking to the Con’s arm.

 Lugnut glared bloody murder at Flamewar as his arm shifted into a pressure pad, which activated the devastating explosive punch he was best known for. One press and he could level almost a mile of the area around him in one massive gravity pressure wave. Wanting to get this irritating battle over with, he ran at Flamewar with the intent to end this traitorous witch for good.

 “Not so fast, nya!”

 And he would’ve been able to carry out his objective if Peppercat hadn’t thrown an expertly aimed rock at the big red button, hitting it with accuracy that would make Bumblebee proud. Lugnut didn’t even have time to curse before he was engulfed in an explosion that rattled the valley with a thunderous boom. A minute later, Lugnut flew out of the towering pillar of smoke and crashed into the lake with a large splash.

 “Good kitty!” Jazz smiled. He spotted the polarity gauntlet sitting on the ground next to him and went to grab it, but a grappling line snatched it up first and it was pulled into Flamewar’s hands.

 “I’ll be seeing you all in hell!” Flamewar jeered and shifted to vehicle mode, driving down the mountain slope at high speeds and not stopping even as she hit ground level. She thought she was home free, but Arcee had other ideas.

 “Peppercat!” Arcee called out. Peppercat changed into her beast mode, a large red cat the size of a cheetah, and attached herself to Arcee’s right thigh.

 Arcee felt a surge of energy course through her body and channeled it into her legs. Empowered by the linkage, Arcee sprinted forward at dizzying speeds, chasing after Flamewar and easily catching up to her in record breaking time. Flamewar tried to go faster, but Arcee grabbed the back of her alt mode and dug her feet into the ground to slow her down. Once Flamewar lost traction, Arcee spun the huntress around three times before throwing her at Jazz.

 Flamewar spun uncontrollably in the air and transformed mid-spin. Unfortunately, she did so just in time for her face to meet the back of Jazz’s heel as he spin-kicked her in the air and knocked her over to the lake. Lugnut was just swimming back to the surface when Flamewar flew at him.

 “Scrap.” Lugnut said as Flamewar slammed into his face and they both hit the lake again.

 Jazz smirked at his awesome finisher and patted himself on the back as Arcee jogged over to him with the polarity gauntlet in hand. Peppercat separated from Arcee and climbed onto her shoulder.

 “You did good, Peppercat.” Arcee smiled at her.

 “I did good too, y’know. But don’t mind the Minicon hipster dragged into this mess.” Roadstorm grumbled. Jazz chuckled and looked at the gauntlet.

 “Let’s get back to the Ark before that thing gets us stuck together or something.” He said. Arcee nodded, but Peppercat pointed at the lake.

 “What about them, nya?” Peppercat asked.

 “Them?” Arcee glared at the lake and sighed. Honestly, she didn’t care about them anymore. They got what they came here for and that’s that. “Let Lugnut deal with their rabid dog.”

 Despite the general craziness that came with these kinds of missions, they managed to win the day. Now, the two Autobots and their partners were content with just going home and resting from this unpleasant affair.

XXXXXX

“One polarity gauntlet for the vault.” Arcee smiled as she handed Ratchet the gauntlet. “Though I wouldn’t advise indoor use.”

 “Arcee?”

 Arcee looked down and saw Debbie walking up to her. Seeing that she wanted to talk, Arcee knelt down to her while Jazz and Ratchet left the room to give them a moment.

 “Yes, Debbie?”

 “I just wanted to say sorry for offending you earlier. I know that you’re fully capable of protecting the kids. It’s just that,” Debbie took a deep breath. “After our parents died, and grandpa followed them afterwards, I’ve been a little overprotective of the twins. Darren and Annie are the only family I have left and I’m constantly scared that I’m going to lose them as well. It’s hard, considering that they’re growing up too fast, and with how much of a hassle Annie is-“

 “Debbie,” Arcee cut her off. “It’s fine, I know how you feel. You lose someone the first time and it makes it harder to lose someone else. I lost someone I loved as well and I don’t want to go through that again, just like you. I promise-we all promise-to keep your family safe.”

 “Thanks, Arcee.” Debbie smiled.

 They shared a friendly smile, fully understanding each other. Jazz looked at the scene from the doorway smiling as well. He couldn’t help but think that coming to Terra was a great help for Arcee and he hoped it continued like that.

XXXXXX

 Megatron was not happy, and an unhappy Megatron meant certain death for the poor bastard who ruined his already ugly mood. He gave Lugnut this important mission because it shouldn’t have been a problem for a mech of his size and power, but here he stood, alone and bruised with nothing to show for his efforts. Being constantly disappointed by his own soldiers was getting old.

 “The fact that you returned here after failing your mission to stand before me must speak wonders for your courage, Lugnut-or your lack of sanity.” Megatron growled.

 Lugnut said nothing, standing at attention before his leader, his eye on the ground.

 “You better have a good reason for failing as you have that doesn’t involve the Autobots humiliating you.” Megatron said, marching up to Lugnut. “You dare return empty handed after assuring me of your victory?”

 “No, my liege,” Lugnut said and looked behind him. “I dare not.”

 He stepped aside to allow Blackout to drag a handcuffed Flamewar into the bridge. He pushed her to Megatron’s feet, where the warlord looked down at her in amusement.

 “Flamewar, it’s been a long time.” He smirked. Flamewar glared up at him with a sneer.

 “Not long enough…Lord Megatron.”


	21. The Red Pyramid

Chapter 20-The Red Pyramid

 Thundercracker flew over the twisting sands of the Elmia Desert, the sun beating down on his metal hide and making him feel like a lightening rod that’s been superheated by a thunderbolt during a storm. He groaned at the uncomfortable feeling and hoped that he didn’t have to worry about overheating in this hellish sandbox.

 Terra had to be on his list of the top five worst planets he served on in his career. There was that one planet with the living explosions whose name he forgot because he was blasted into a coma after spending one day on that fiery rock, the planet with the exploding crystals, the world that was home to a race that piloted mecha that looked suspiciously like lions as their main defense force (the number of times he had his wings ripped off in that campaign was just ungodly. And they had to fall back from that planet when said lions combined into a single giant robot that lost them two dozen warships), but the worst one had to be the planet of green skinned giants. He was mistaken for a toy by one of the natives and held prisoner in the child’s room for three weeks before anyone had the brass balls to rescue him. Slipstream never let him live that travesty down.

 He saw Blackout’s large dark form standing on top of a sand dune and he changed forms to land, making a show of blowing some sand in the mech’s face as he did so. He hid a grin as Blackout sputtered to get the sand out of his mouth and eyes.

 “Very funny, you slaghead.” Blackout grumbled. “Did you find anything?”

 “Nope,” Thundercracker said. “There’s too much ground to cover without some location to use as a reference. It’s easy to get lost out here, wings or not.”

 “All the same, we’re going to have to wait for the panel to activate again.” Blackout sighed. “Go join up with Lord Megatron. I’ll take it from here.”

 Blackout transformed to his helicopter mode and rose into the air. The strong winds caused by his rapidly spinning blades blew sand everywhere, mostly in Thundercracker’s direction. The Seeker cursed as sand got all over his body and Blackout gave a deep laugh as he flew away into the distance.

 “Damn it,” Thundercracker growled. “Walked right into that one.”

XXXXXX

 Gina let out a sigh as she looked through her binoculars at the vast expanse of desert before her, seeing only waves of sand dunes that went on for miles and visible heat waves distorting the horizon. Sand, nothing but sand-and the occasional scorpion, which she filed away on her GTFO list. Her thin sleeveless olive green shirt clung to her developing curves thanks to her sweat and her jean shorts were weighed down by the handy dandy tool belt she made for missions like these. Darren and Annie were dressed in similar attire to combat the desert heat, but it was a losing battle.

 “Now I remember why I never wanted to go to Egyptia.” Gina panted and wiped her forehead. “I forgot how hot this place could get at this time of year.”

 “How could you forget something like this? It’s the middle of freaking summer over here!” Annie groaned, wringing her shirt out to get some air on her sweaty skin. “This whole damn sandbox is the only reason aside from the pyramids that Anea is so famous.”

 A large shadow fell over the kids and they looked up to see Goldfire standing over them, using his body to provide some shade.

 “How’s this?” He asked.

 “That’s great, Goldfire, thanks.” Darren said. There wasn’t any sign of rain in this desert yet he felt like he took a dip in the Nile.

 Optimus and Ironhide stood apart from the others, looking over the desert from the vantage point of a nearby dune. The Autobots and their allies were on another Minicon retrieval mission, which took them to the hottest region on the planet-the Sahara Desert near Egyptia. After hearing how harsh the conditions were in Egyptia, Optimus was obviously reluctant to take the kids there and risk them being dehydrated or suffering from health problems from the intense heat, but they insisted on coming along. They were still a bit guilty at losing the last panel and wanted to make up for it.

 So here they were, with their guardian Minicon team consisting of the combined Goldfire and D-Va. This was just one team of the human/Minicon team Annie dubbed the Microns, which actually stuck with the Minicons living in the Ark. Prowl had his reservations with growing evidence of a spy on the team, but he kept his opinions to himself. Optimus knew Prowl was keeping a close eye on the Minicons and tried to curb Prowl’s more…erratic tendencies that threatened to cause a rift between the Autobots and Decepticons. He knew this spy issue had to be addressed sooner or later, but he had more important things to worry about.

 Things like wondering where to start in this vast desert. The panel’s signal was faint and barely registered on their scanners, which could only mean that it was likely underground. Where underground was the question.

 “Has Wheeljack found anything yet?” Optimus asked.

 “No, Prime. The most we got is that we’re in the general vicinity.” Ironhide said. He crossed his arms and frowned. “And have I mentioned that I don’t like waiting around here for Skyfire to give us an update? This place is too open and we’re defenseless if the Cons ambush us here.”

 Skyfire had gone on ahead with Comettor in order to do a grid scan of the desert from the air. It was the most efficient way of finding the panel in the area, where one could get turned around and become lost very easily. Many of the Autobots were hoping the panel was at least somewhere accessible. If the panel was buried beneath a sand dune, then they had a problem on their hands.

 Ironhide was suspicious of Skyfire of course, given her history as a high ranking Seeker, but Optimus stamped those suspicions down immediately. It was bad enough that Prowl was incriminating the Minicons of espionage, but treating each other like they’re spies of traitors will not be tolerated on his team. Cooperation was a necessity that they could not take for granted, and if that falls apart, then the whole operation on Terra was lost.

 “It’s a desert, Ironhide. The whole place is wide open space.” Prowl said. “If it bothers you so much then try to think of a possible solution instead of complaining about it.”

 Ironhide glared at him, but Optimus raised a hand to stop a potential argument. This was not the time or place to start fighting amongst themselves. Out here in the heart of the desert, overheating was a very real danger, and the Autobots had to watch themselves to avoid dropping from such ailments-namely trying not to expend energy beating each other senseless.

 Optimus looked over to the kids, who were conversing with the Minicons. He hoped they could handle the heat a little longer. The conditions in the Elmia Desert were strong enough to prove hazardous to an unprepared adult human, and a child even more so.

 “I see her!” D-Va said, pointing to the sky.

 They Autobots looked up to see Skyfire’s green form streaking through the sky like a bullet. The flyer reached them and landed, changing to her bipedal mode as she touched down and kicked up sand everywhere.

 “Watch it!” Annie yelled, covering her face.

 “My bad.” Skyfire apologized, though she didn’t sound as sorry as she should’ve.

 “What did you learn, Skyfire?” Asked Optimus.

 “Well, I got good news and bad news.” Skyfire said. “Which one do you want first?”

 “Skyfire, just tell us.” Prowl sighed.

 “Good news it is!” Skyfire chirped. “First, I’ve found the panel’s location. The signal’s coming from this huge ass mountain near a valley with large statues and slag.”

 “That’s the Valley of Kings.” Gina said. “It’s the largest tomb with Egyptia that was the resting place for many pharaohs from the in ancient times.”

 “And since it’s a resting place for kings,” Darren pointed out. “Then it must hold some treasure and valuables belonging to those ancient kings.”

 “Which might also hold the panel.” Annie smiled. “Sweet, we’re on the right track.”

 “So what’s the bad news?” D-Va asked.

 Comettor popped off Skyfire’s wing and fell into a sand dune as he transformed to robot mode. Skyfire helped her partner up as he began to explain the little setback they ran into. “It’s really far from this position. About north-northeast on the east bank of the Nile. And I think they’re humans there too.”

 “I don’t think we have to worry about that.” Gina said. “Sure, the Valley of Kings is a popular tourist destination, but less and less people have been visiting the area since that horrible massacre of tourist and tour guides back in 1971.”

 “Wow, what caused that?” Annie winced.

 “Lots of things that are mainly centered around keeping westerners out of Egyptia. But we don’t have to worry about the tourists so much as we have to be mindful for archaeological digs. I’m sure that security is lax around this time of year with all the sandstorms that have been ravaging the area.” She continued. “All the same, we should careful.”

 “Agreed.” Optimus nodded. “Skyfire, send Teletran-1 the coordinates of the panel’s signal. We’ll take the ground bridge to the Valley of Kings and begin our search there.”

 “What should we do if they’re humans there, Prime?” Prowl asked.

 Optimus paused. “I’ll think of a plan if it comes to that.”

Unknown to the Autobots, their enemies were also concocting a plan of their own-one based on information gleaned from a spy within their ranks.

XXXXXX

_“I hope you’re hearing this. The Valley of Kings, north by northeast. Possible human presence in the area, so proceed with caution. Agent X11 out.”_

“That’s my girl.” Leader-1 said and looked up at Megatron. “We’ve got a bite. The Autobots are moving out.”

 “Excellent.” Megatron grinned and turned to the Seekers. “It’s time to move out. Starscream, your team will hang back until the Autobots are within range.”

 “At once, my lord.” Starscream bowed.

 “Blackout, you’re with me. Your job is the most important on this mission.”

 “I understand, my liege.” Blackout said.

 Megatron turned to the huge expanse of desert before him and he wondered if this is what the world will look like when he was finished draining every drop of energy from its core. These days, killing a planet was a rare thing in his line of work.

XXXXXX

 The Valley of the Kings was one of the most famous places in Egyptia. Here, the tombs of the pharaohs who ruled from the eighteenth to twentieth Egyptian dynasties were located, untouched for thousands of years until they were robbed by treasure hunters in the 1800s and later roped off for archaeological digs. It was a gold mine of historical treasures and information on the ancient Amara kingdom that ruled the land of Egyptia to Nubia.

 The Autobots exited the ground bridge and entered a large valley that was mostly composed of sand and rock. The canyon walls were small and weathered from the constant pounding of sand grains against its rocky surface that slowly eroded the stone over the centuries. On the ground there were tire tracks and footprints showing that there were humans here sometime earlier, though they were clearly gone now.

 “Looks like everyone hauled ass already.” Annie observed.

 D-Va shielded her face from the flying sand and looked around. “It’s really windy here, isn’t it?”

 “That’s because there’s a sandstorm coming. It’s peaceful now, but give it another hour and we’ll all be buried alive in a cloud of sand.” Gina said.

 “Then we can’t waste anymore time.” Optimus said. Looking down at the Minicons, he said, “Escort the children into the tomb. We will stand guard here and-“

 Out of nowhere, a purple beam hit Optimus in the shoulder, spinning him around from the concussive force alone and knocking him into a wall. Skyfire and Prowl drew their weapons as Ironhide ran over to him.

 “Prime! Are you alright?” He asked. Optimus grunted as he stood up, his shoulder smoking but mostly okay.

 “I’m fine, but where did the blast come from?”

 Prowl look in the direction the blast came from, seeing nothing but desert. Then another blast was fired at him and he ducked, letting the attack hit the canyon wall behind him.

 “We’re under attack!” Ironhide yelled and ran forward, raising his arm cannons and looking around. “Where are they?”

 “Out of range.” Prowl grunted, brushing dust off his back door panels. “Megatron’s taking pot shots at us from afar.”

 Optimus took out his ion rifle and looked at the Minicons and humans. “Go, now!”

 Goldfire nodded and grabbed Darren and Annie before running for the tombs with D-Va carrying Gina. Optimus, Ironhide and Prowl formed a defensive line near the Valley’s entrance.

 “No one gets in without getting past us.” Optimus said. “Hold this line no matter what!”

 Prowl spotted three shapes coming in fast from their north. As they got closer, he saw they were three oddly colored fighter jets. “We’ve got incoming Seekers.”

 “I’m on it!” Skyfire transformed and took to the air, flying miles away from the Autobots in just a few minutes.

 Starscream saw Skyfire heading straight for them and acted quickly. “Skywarp, take her out!”

 “Got it.” The grin could be heard in Skywarp’s voice as he teleported from view.

 Skyfire saw Skywarp vanish and immediately had Comettor expand his sensory range for any spatial distortions around her. Having worked with Skywarp for a long time, she knew that he’d used old, mediocre surprise and ambush techniques on her, which wasn’t a smart move. Skyfire knew how his powers worked and made up a little method of locating him before he appeared; whenever Skywarp teleported, the air around him crackles and shimmers as he disappears and reappears, followed by a light energy surge. Skyfire had trained herself to instinctively locate those shimmers when Skywarp and it came in handy as the outlier appeared behind her-just as she guessed.

 “Got ya!” Skyfire spun around, changing to robot mode and firing her particle cannon into Skywarp’s nozzle as he flew right into her assault.

 “Son of a-ah!” Skywarp got a face full of energy fire and his entire front side took major amounts of damage. Skyfire axe-kicked Skywarp in the cockpit and sent him spiraling towards the ground. He cursed and transformed to keep himself from crashing.

 Skyfire looked back and saw Starscream and Thundercracker approaching. “Hey, Screamer. You miss me?”

 “Shut up!” Starscream snarled.

 The sky erupted into a fierce flurry of weapons fire and deafening jet engines being pushed to the max as the three flyers got into an intense dogfight. Megatron shook his head at the sight.

 “All that bragging about Seeker pride and he can’t even handle one Autobot flyer.” Megatron muttered. Blackout called him on the comm-channel.

 _“Lord Megatron,”_ Blackout said. _“I’m in position with Leader-1 and Grid.”_

“Good, Blackout.” Megatron smirked. “Drop them off and return to my position. We’re going to give the Autobots hell.”

XXXXXX

 When the kids tracked the faint signal to the side of the canyon, the kids thought that the panel was somewhere inside one of the tombs. It was a pleasant surprise when they found a secret entrance near one of the tombs to the east end of the Valley. At this point, stuff like this didn’t surprise them anymore.

 Once the battle began, they quickly entered the corridor and found themselves going down a large staircase that went almost a mile downward into the earth. The steps were carved one by one and they didn’t know how far down they had to go. Gina led the way with D-Va backing her up and Goldfire (who had to crouch low to follow them) taking the rear. The Sky Spy drone was scanning the path in front of them for any surprises and so far, nothing major happened…yet.

 “Are we getting close, yet?” Annie asked.

 “Yes, but it’s still a little ways off from our position.” Gina said.

 Darren heard a muffled boom from above ground “Let’s pick up the pace. It sounds like a warzone out there.”

 “Well it is a war after all.” D-Va muttered.

 The staircase went on a little longer before leading to a long corridor that led to a large chamber. It was about the size of a school gymnasium, with hieroglyphs lining the walls and glowing crystals mounted in the walls that actually provided light to the room. They group entered the chamber and looked around in awe.

 “This place looks amazing.” Gina breathed. She couldn’t believe that none of the archaeologists who visited the Valley of the Kings never even stumbled upon the entrance. “Jinkies guys, I’m so hype right now, you cannot even fathom it!”

 She almost wandered off to look at the walls, but Darren held her back. “Focus, Gina. We have a job to do.”

 “Yeah,” She sighed. “I know.”

 Centurion pointed to the corridor at the other side of the chamber. “We must go.”

 They headed for the only other opening to the chamber, but as Gina’s foot stepped on a loose tile, the room began to rumble, putting them on guard.

 “What’s going on?” D-Va asked.

 The ceiling opened up above them and a large metal ball fell from it. Centurion pushed the kids out of the way and jumped back as the ball landed between them. It was large, made of gold with an Egyptian eye in the center of the sphere. Four slots opened up and from them extended four large and very sharp blades that stabbed into the ground and lifted the sphere up as makeshift legs.

 “Run! Get the panel!” Centurion yelled.

 “But what about you?” Annie yelled back.

 “I will be with you soon. Just go!”

 D-Va hurriedly pushed the kids down the hall, giving Centurion a parting nod before following them. When he was sure they were gone, Centurion fired his wrist cannons at the golem to draw its attention to him. The eye on its body glowed a bit as it focused on the gestalt and charged at him, stabbing its front legs forward.

 Centurion jumped aside to avoid the blades, but he was prepared for the second blade to change direction so quickly and got hit in the side. He wasn’t hit, but the sphere’s large body slammed into him and he flew into the wall. Dazed, he was just barely able to dodge the blade coming down on him, earning a deep slice in his shoulder.

 The sphere lashed out at him with fast attacks, stabbing its forelegs at him repeatedly at speeds that a normal human could not match. Centurion dodged as fast as he could and tried to gain some distance from it, but the golem pursued him relentlessly.

 ‘I can’t keep this up any longer.’ Centurion thought. ‘I need to finish this and regroup with the others.’

 Quickly thinking of something, Centurion stood in place and waited for the machine to rush him. When it got close enough, the golem jabbed its right leg at Centurion, who waited until the last second before leaping o the side, just enough that the blade chipped off a piece of his armor before wrapping his arms around the leg and raised his arm. Bringing it down as hard as he could, he severed the sharp limb with a mighty chop and it fell to the ground.

 Lifting the large blade over his head, Centurion jumped onto the golem and stabbed the blade directly into its eye. The sharp blade easily sunk into the eye and skewered its inner mechanisms, destroying its processor and causing it to sway unsteadily before falling over. Centurion hopped off it and took a deep breath to cool his heated systems.

 “That thing won’t be bothering anyone else anymore.” He said.

 “And for that, we thank you.”

 Before Centurion could react to the new voice, he was hit in the back by an energy beam. The gestalt felt his entire body freeze, and he fell to his knees, frozen but still conscious. From the shadows, Leader-1 and Grid walked up to the fallen gestalt, the former carrying a large triple barreled beam cannon.

 “Oh how the mighty have fallen.” Leader-1 sneered and backhanded the crippled Centurion in the face. “Don’t worry, the effects will wear off soon. But by the time that happens, your human pets will be bloody smears on the walls.”

 They walked past Centurion and continued towards the opposite hall, leaving him alone in the darkness with no help from the outside or in.

XXXXXX

 Optimus and Ironhide dodged the three missiles that were fired in their direction. Blackout was attacking him from the rear, laying down heavy fire just out of their range. Skyfire was still engaging the Seekers and Megatron was quickly closing in on them in his tank mode.

 “We’re being attacked from all sides, Prime.” Ironhide said. “Megatron’s going to be on us in seconds and Blackout has us pinned.”

 “Leave Blackout to me, but can you hold Megatron off for a little while?” Optimus asked.

 “Define a little while.” Prowl said, but he did as he was ordered. He and Ironhide began shooting at Megatron, managing to land some hits as he got closer, though their attacks did little damage to the warlord’s dense armor.

 Optimus started climbing up the side of the valley and reached the top of the cliff, where he ran along the edge tracking Blackout’s movements. He took out his ion rifle and fired a blast at the mech’s tail rotors, disrupting Blackout balance centers. He cursed and tried to maintain control as he spiraled towards the ground, but that was the least of his worries,

Optimus jumped off the cliff as Blackout fell past him and he grabbed onto him. The added weight hastened Blackout’s descent and Optimus jumped off just as Blackout crashed into the sand. The Con spun around in the dirt before transforming to robot mode and getting to his knees.

 Optimus rushed at him and landed a solid punch to his chin that pushed him back and another to his chest. Blackout stumbled back, his frame rattling from the powerful blows his body could not take head on, thanks to having weaker armor than most mech’s of his size and stature. When Optimus fired a blast from his ion rifle into his shoulder, he knew he wasn’t going to last long in this state and called out his Minicon.

 “Cannon, deploy!”

 The compartment in his lower back popped open and his new Minicon, Cannon, dropped to the ground. In his alt mode, a green and blue cybertronian tank similar in design to a panzer, Cannon said nothing as he linked to the underside of Blackout’s right forearm. His arm split apart to reveal a cannon extending from behind his hand and Blackout aimed and fired the weapon.

 A single blast hit the ground before Optimus and Prowl and exploded outward, sending out a devastating wall of sound that hit them full force. Prowl was sent flying while Optimus crashed against as statue, their audio and visual sensors scrambled by the sonic waves that hit them like an EMP wave. Optimus stumbled a bit as he tried to force his systems to recover faster. He heard a high pitched whine on his fight and jumped back as Blackout fired a thunderclap wave at him. He ducked behind a statue for cover and waited for his systems to get back to normal.

 Blackout powered up his cannon once more, planning on taking out Prime for good this time. The thunderclap cannon was supposed to completely knock him out with a sonic wave that also scrambled visual and auditory systems, effectively crippling the target. But Optimus was a hard mech to keep down, even in his condition. Seeing that the other Autobots were preoccupied with holding Megatron back, and Skyfire was still dog fighting the Seeker trio, Blackout knew he was in the clear.

 ‘No interruptions,’ Blackout thought. ‘Good.’

 Optimus waited for his optics to give him at least a fuzzy image of his surroundings before formulating his plan. He could barely see, but Blackout was a big enough target that he was hard to miss, even when half blind. He folded up his ion rifle and took out his battle axe. He waited until he heard Blackout’s heavy footsteps get closer before he jumped from cover and threw his axe.

 Blackout wasn’t expecting that move and took the axe blade right in his shoulder. The heated blade burned through his armor and into her sensitive circuitry underneath, almost cutting to his internal frame. With Blackout distracted, Optimus charged in and slammed his elbow into Blackout’s face, scrambling his processors from that blow alone before grabbing his arm and throwing him a great distance into the valley-right at a transforming Megatron, who just appeared at the valley’s entrance.

 Optimus relished Megatron’s enraged cry as Blackout crashed into him and sent both of them to the ground and spun his retrieved axe, getting ready for the real fight. He hoped the kids were having a better time than he was.

XXXXXX

 “We’re getting close.” Gina said as she looked at her scanner. “The panel should be just up ahead.”

 The children and D-Va ran down the long hallway after the Sky Spy, which was hot on the panel’s growing signal. There were so many hallways that led to dead ends, and a few of them had booby traps that were easy to miss. According to Gina, it was typical of tombs of kings and queens to have dangerous little presents waiting for tomb raiders. It was only thanks to the sky spy mapping their route that they made it this far in without running into any traps-aside from the one Goldfire was currently fighting.

 Gina was looking at her scanner the entire time, letting D-Va keep her from running into any walls, as she wasn’t looking where she was going. Obviously this wasn’t very safe, and she realized this too late as the minute she walked through the last door they needed to enter, she almost walked off a steep ledge with a very deep drop. She shrieked as she nearly fell over, but D-Va caught her by the back of her shirt and pulled her back.

 “And that’s why you shouldn’t text and run.” D-Va quipped.

 “T-Thanks.” Gina gulped and looked down at the steep drop she almost went over. “Jinkies.”

 Darren and Annie looked around at their supposed destination. It was a large cavern that looked smoothed over and polished in a manner befitting of a king rather than uneven and natural like it should’ve been. More crystals illuminated the otherwise dark room and their dim light glinted off the organized piles of treasure within the chamber. The treasure was separated into piles based on what items they were; there was a pile for jewelry, another for ornaments, statues, and so on.

 “Darren,” Annie whispered excitedly. “We’re rich!”

 “We can’t think about that now, Annie.” Darren said, though he was personally zeroing in on what gold he wanted to snatch up himself. “We have to find the Minicon panel first.”

 Gina held out her arm to let the sky spy land on her and it plugged itself into her scanner to transmit its data. She read it over and turned to her friends. “It’s near the center of the room. Just north of us.”

 At that moment, a large green beam was fired at them from behind. Acting fast, Darren brought up a telekinetic barrier that blocked the brunt of the blast, but destroyed the ledge they were standing on. D-Va leapt forward and grabbed Gina as they fell into one of the gold piles below, while Darren formed a telekinetic platform under him and Annie to stop their fall.

 Back in the hallway, Leader-1 and Grid walked up to the destroyed ledge, looking down at their new targets.

 “This is going to be fun.” Grid laughed.

 “You got that right, Grid.” Leader-1 agreed.

 They jumped down the slope and landed on the ground. D-Va stood protectively in front of Gina as Leader-1 cracked his knuckles as he glared at the children. “Did you brats think I forgot about you? I certainly didn’t. Hard to forget when a couple of freaks made me look like a fool!”

 “You were already a fool before we even met you!” Annie yelled at him. Leader-1 snarled and switched the barrel on his cannon before firing a pulse blast from his cannon at her.

 Darren pulled Annie out of the way as the powerful beam exploded behind them. Pushing his sister behind him, Darren tore up a few large stones from the ground and flung them at Leader-1. The Minicon fired more blasts from his cannon that vaporized the stone and fired more at Darren, who took cover behind a gold pile.

 “Annie, could you please not further antagonize the dude with the giant cannon?” Darren grunted. “Our job’s hard enough without a Minicon with a vendetta chasing us.”

 “Suck it up, bro. We’re already on the Con’s shit list.” Annie replied. She looked up and smacked his shoulder. “Eyes forward, Darren, Gina’s making a run for the panel.”

 The boy spun around and saw Gina running through the chamber, sneaking between the piles to avoid Leader-1’s murderous gaze. He didn’t notice her, but Grid certainly did.

 “You ain’t goin’ anywhere, fleshy!” Grid lunged at her, but a hard kick to his face knocked him back. D-Va landed on top of a golden pedestal, twirling her cobalt staff around.

 “You’re going to have to get past me first, bozo.”

 D-Va leapt at Grid and swung her staff at his head. He ducked under it and charged into her, tumbling down the gold pile to the ground. Coins and trinkets rained down on them as Grid kicked her staff away, but she punched him in the face and spin-kicked him in the chest, sending him into a statue. It fell over and broke apart, but Grid snatched up the sword it dropped before grinning at a despondent Grid.

 “Frag me.” D-Va groaned. As if he wasn’t trouble enough without a sharp weapon.

 Darren and Annie dodged the pulse blasts Leader-1 fired at them. He was dead set on killing them and Darren sought to use that to force him into using up his weapon’s power cell or whatever it ran on, but it was clear early on that the thing had a lot of juice in the tank and wasn’t going to run out anytime soon. They took cover behind a statue to make a new plan.

 “We need to get that thing away from him. At this point, he’s just wasting our time.” Darren said.

 “How do we do that? He’ll shoot us down before we can even reach him.” Annie said. “The recharge time on that thing is unreal.”

 “Well, if we can’t take out the gun,” Darren looked back at the trigger happy mech. “Then we need to focus on the mech himself.”

 Leader-1 advanced deeper into the chamber, searching for the twins and hoping they would pop out so he could finally snuff them out and get them out of his figurative hair. He could start blind firing in the hopes of killing them, but he wanted to see them get blown to bloody chunks. He deserved that satisfaction for the trouble they were causing him.

 “Come out, brats!” Leader-1 yelled. “You were so brave and cocky the last time we met. Where’d all that bravado go?”

 Annie jumped out and threw a gold plate at his head that bounced on his cranium with a loud clang. Leader-1 spun around and changed the setting on his cannon before firing a continuous pulse beam, slowly sweeping it across the room after Annie. She ran to avoid the beam, but tripped over a scepter and fell.

 ‘That’s it! I have you now, you little bastard!’ Leader-1 thought gleefully.

 His sadistic glee was interrupted when Darren charged at him from behind. Leader-1 tried to turn, but the large cannon hindered his movements and Darren fired two TK blasts at his face, pushing him back. Waving his arm, Darren overturned the ground and knocking over Leader-1.

 As the cannon hit the ground, Darren rushed to grab it, but Leader-1 was faster than he thought. The Minicon leapt up and grabbed him by the throat, throwing him into a cat statue.

 “Darren!” Annie cried out. Gina heard her cry out and saw Darren lying on the ground.

 “No.” She breathed.

 Leader-1 picked up his cannon and hefted it onto his shoulder. “I was going to kill the girl first, but let’s make you suffer a bit, eh?”

 He aimed the cannon at Darren and fired. Gina and Annie watched in horror as the pulse blast shot at their friend, who had nothing to protect her.

 “DARREN!”

 Seeing the white hot beam of energy shoot towards him, Darren felt himself freeze. Death was staring him in the face, coming straight towards him, and yet he couldn’t make himself move. He always knew hanging out with the Autobots would get him killed if he made the wrong move, but it didn’t seem real now that it was about to happen. What would Debbie do if he died here? What would happen to Annie? Gina?

 ‘The girls…’ Darren thought. If he died here, what would happen to his sister and best friend? With D-Va occupied, they would be defenseless if something happened to them. Leader-1 would kill them, torture them with his death hanging over their heads. Just the thought alone made Darren angry. He couldn’t let anything happen to them! He wasn’t going to let that bastard hurt his family!

 With a mighty roar, Darren rushed straight at the beam, cocking his fist back as if to punch the beam head on. Unnoticed by Darren, his body began emitting faint wisps of silver energy that surrounded his body. It enveloped his body just as the beam reached his fist, and Darren’s vision went white.

XXXXXX

 Megatron pushed Blackout off him and got to his feet, snarling like an angry animal. “What’s the point of even having you around if you can’t even hold your own in battle?” He shouted at Blackout.

 Ironhide charged at Megatron, firing a blast from one of his cannons that hit Megatron directly in the face. The Decepticon leader stumbled back from the unexpected attack, and Ironhide leapt up to land a punch to Megatron’s jaw. He then took out one of his axes and brought it down on Megatron’s head.

 But Megatron grabbed Ironhide’s arm in a tight grip, strong enough to cause Ironhide’s armor to groan from the pressure of his grip. The red Autobot gritted his teeth but he ignored the pain.

 “Did you think you could fight me alone?” Megatron growled. He punched Ironhide to the ground and kicked him in the side. “Me? The leader of all Decepticons?”

 “No,” Ironhide spat energon from his mouth and grinned up at Megatron. “But it’s a decent distraction.”

 In the sky, Skyfire flew circles around Starscream, taunting him with insults and jibes. She only fired her Vulcan cannons at Starscream, annoying him in a blind rage as he couldn’t even properly lock on to her. Getting Ironhide’s unspoken signal, she dived towards the ground, allowing Starscream to give chase while insulting his inability to fight her.

 “What’s the matter, Screamer? Can’t keep up for more than five minutes? It’s okay, lots of mechs your age have the same problem.” Skyfire laughed.

 “Just die already!” Starscream yelled and fired two missiles at Skyfire.

 Inwardly smirking, Skyfire allowed the missiles to track her in her descent and she changed her angle so that she was heading for Megatron and Ironhide. As the last possible second, Skyfire transformed and flipped over the missiles, letting the missiles fly under her and hit another target-Megatron. Starscream felt his Spark turn cold as he saw Megatron take his two missiles directly to the chest and disappear in the ensuing explosion that engulfed his body. Normally, Starscream would relish Megatron’s pain, but this was an actual mistake that he had no intention of doing and he knew Megatron would crucify him on the spot.

 “STARSCREAM!” Megatron roared. He marched out of the cloud of smoke and flames, two warped and burnt holes in his chest and shoulder that looked absolutely painful. The searing pain of these wounds only deepened Megatron’s rage and his enraged gaze turned onto Starscream.

 “Oh scrap.” Starscream groaned.

 Megatron leveled his fusion cannon at Starscream and fired. The fusion beam cut through the air faster than Starscream could react and tore into the right side of the Seeker’s jet mode. This blew Starscream out of the air and sent him crashing into the ground, crashing into a rock and reverting back to robot mode.

 “So you would attack your own soldiers in the midst of a battle?” Optimus said, walking up to Megatron with his ion cannon drawn. “I expected better from you, Megatron.”

 “Spare me the lecture, Prime!” Megatron shouted.

 They ran at each other and drew their melee weapons, swinging their blades at each other and clashing in a deadlock. Megatron hissed as he felt the burning wounds where the missiles hit his chest sting and the pain weakened him. Optimus, never one to waste an opportunity, pushed Megatron’s axe down and punched him in the chest, right in the wound.

 Megatron snarled and winced at the pain erupting from where he was hit. He head butted Optimus and staggered back to gin some distance. He was going to tear Starscream a new one after this.

 “I didn’t peg you for a mech to hit a wounded warrior where it hurts, Prime.” Megatron panted. “I expected better for you.”

 “You know I would always make an exception for you, Megatron.” Optimus said. He fired his ion cannon, but Megatron collapsed into his tank mode.

 As he transformed, he sent a private signal to Skywarp to attack Optimus right after he fired his cannon. The Seeker followed his orders without question and got into position. Megatron idly thought that Starscream’s subordinates were more loyal that the traitorous bastard himself. The minute Megatron fired his fusion cannon, Optimus dodged the beam and Skywarp teleported behind him.

 When Skyfire saw Skywarp appear behind Optimus, she called out to him. “Prime, on your six!”

 As Skywarp reappeared in jet mode behind Optimus, he fired two cruise missiles at Prime’s back. To his surprise, and that of those watching the scene, Optimus twisted his body away from the path of the missiles, allowing them to shoot right past him and hit another target-Megatron.

 Even Prowl had to crack a smile at the bad luck Megatron was having as the missiles hit their mark; one hit the ground near Megatron’s treads while the other hit his front. The explosions forced Megatron into robot mode and he collapsed on his knees, sporting a burning wound on his back where his alt mode was hit.

 Megatron glared at Skywarp, who shrank away from his gaze as Optimus gave a smirk. “Never underestimate teamwork, Megatron. It might save your life one day.”

XXXXXX

 D-Va and Grid traded blows as they dueled with their weapons. D-Va kicked Grid in the chest, and slashed at his head, but he ducked under her staff to launch himself at her. She leapt back and dodged his sword, elbowing him in the face and knocking him down. He immediately sprang back up and resumed his attack.

 D-Va was hard pressed to admit that for how garbage his fighting skills are, Grid’s quick reflexes and sickening inability to feel pain made him a tough mech to fight. He gets knocked down but always came back up. It was getting annoying.

 Granted, this was probably what he was aiming for. For all she knew, Grid was one of those mechs who acted like they were garbage, but had just enough fighting skill to avoid getting slagged within ten seconds of the fight. The type who wear down stronger opponents before going in for the kill.

 But D-Va was no normal fighter. She jumped away from Grid and picked up a goblet to throw at his face. He ran right into the object and it hit his face, stunning him. She took out her blaster and fired repeatedly at one of his legs, tearing apart his knee join and making him fall over. Before he could hit the ground, she jumped up and drop kicked him in the face, smirking as she heard the satisfying crunch of his faceplate cracking as she launched him almost a foot back into the outstretched arms of a statue that ironically saved him from a painful fall.

 “Ugh…why did you have to…” He wheezed. The kick to the face damaged the vocal speakers in his head. “Hit me so…hard…?”

 “That’s war, Grid. Don’t come at me swinging a sword and expect not to get a beating.” D-Va said.

 A bright flash of light followed by an explosion shook the cave with a loud boom and D-Va spun around with wide eyes.

 “What the hell was that?”

XXXXXX

 Leader-1 had seen many things in his life. The abuse his kind suffered at the hands of the Senate, the destruction of his home and everything he held dear, the awakening of the Metrotitans Metroplex and Trypticon, and their battle in the middle of Iacon (it was hard to top that last one). But what he saw in that tomb definitely made it into the top five strangest things he’s ever seen.

 He knew the beam reached its target, and for a moment, Leader-1 thought the body perished in a foolish attempt to protect himself. But when the smoke cleared, the boy was still alive, and what’s worse, he was completely different.

 Darren’s body had changed; encasing his body was a six foot tall silver armor made of energy. Its appearance was humanoid, akin to a stylized suit of armor, with a head sporting two short horns curving back over his head and white eyes. Darren’s body was faintly visible inside the solidified wisps of telekinetic energy. The boy was gone, and in his place was a warrior.

 “Darren?” Gina gasped. This was the secret power that amalgams were developing all over the world, a pitch black armor formed from nothing!

 “Holy crap, my brother just went god mode.” Annie whispered.

 “What the hell is this?!” Leader-1 growled. “How the hell did you-?”

 Leader-1’s rant was cut short when Darren suddenly sprinted forward and covered the distance between them in seconds. He had no time to aim his weapon as Darren slammed an armored fist into his face, knocking him to the ground. His visor cracked from the force of the punch and Leader-1 was momentarily dazed from the blow. Darren grabbed his head and picked him up with one hand.

 “Do you feel so superior now?” Darren hissed.

 He punched the Mini-Con in the chest and sent Leader-1 flying into a statue. The blow dented the mech’s chest plate in and Leader-1 groaned in pain. Darren leapt forward and prepped for another punch, but Leader-1 was quick enough to catch this one, though it hurt his hand to do so. Darren simply got around this by kicking him in the chest and throwing him to the ground.

 “Keep it up, Darren! You got this!” Annie cheered.

 ‘I won’t let it end like this! Dying at the hands of some filthy hairless ape!’ Leader-1 thought murderously. Reaching into a hidden compartment in his waist, he took out a hilt and unfolded it to create a vibro-blade. The blade hummed as Leader-1 charged at Darren and swung. “I won’t die at your hands, human!”

 It wasn’t arrogance that made Darren make no attempt to block Leader-1’s strike, it was assurance in his new and powerful armor. He was sure that it would protect him from the dangerous melee weapon. It didn’t.

 The girls watched in horror as the blade tore through Darren’s armored chest with a downward slash. The armor was torn away like paper, lacking the density it once had mere seconds ago. Darren’s lack of concentration weakened the armor’s constitution and left him vulnerable. None were as shocked as Darren, who remained unharmed, though shocked as this sudden turnaround. Leader-1 smirked and jumped back, changing to vehicle mode and aiming his twin cannons at the boy before firing. Two pulse blasts hit Darren in the chest and left shoulder, blasting him back head first into a pile of gold. Once again, Darren was unharmed, but more of his armor was blown away, and now it seemed to be dissolving off his body like smoke.

 “What the…?” Darren grunted as he saw his armor disappearing before his very eyes. “No, no, not now!”

 “Ha! So it seems your little power up isn’t the trump card you thought it was.” Leader-1 laughed. He quickly leapt over to his fallen cannon and raised it. “Let’s see if your friend is as full of surprises as you are!”

 Darren paled as Leader-1 pointed his cannon at Gina and fired another pulse blast. Without thinking, Darren raced forward at superhuman speeds to reach the blonde, landing in front of her. Forming a force shield around his arm, he deflected the beam aside, sending it into a wall on the far side of the chamber, where it left a hole. Leader-1 glared at the amalgam boy.

 “All right, let’s see how you defend against this, boy!” Leader-1 sneered and increased the power in his cannon, changing the barrel to photon setting and taking aim.

 Pulling the trigger, Leader-1 was almost knocked off his feet by the hard recoil as his cannon fired an even more powerful photon blast. Darren stood his ground, digging his feet into the stone floor before summoning a telekinetic barrier just as the blast hit it with enough force to send him skidding back on his hells. He didn’t dare lose his concentration. If he faltered now, he and Gina were done for and he wasn’t letting some no-name Minicon kill them down here!

 “Darren, you can’t handle the strain for much longer! Stop!” Gina yelled, seeing that Darren was struggling to keep his focus.

 “If I stop, we both die!” Darren grunted.

 Leader-1 scoffed at what he saw as one creature’s refusal to die and increased the power of the beam. The beam’s power pushed against the barrier and caused further strain on Darren. At this point, it was only a matter of time before they were both destroyed.

Darren channeled as much power as he could into the barrier, but he could feel the heat of the beam seeping through his defenses. Glancing back, he saw Gina’s tear stricken face and forced himself past his limit. Unseen by him or Gina, his eyes glowed bright silver and his telekinetic awareness extended out from his barrier to the beam itself. He began unconsciously manipulating the energy of the pulse blast itself and weaved it around the barrier to make an extra layer of protection. Leader-1 noticed too late what was going on and tried to stop the beam, but his cannon would turn off.

 “What the hell is going on?!” Leader-1 exclaimed.

 Darren’s glowing eyes glared hatefully at Leader-1 and with a mighty yell, he released the energy from his barrier in a massive energy wave that echoed throughout the cave. Piles of gold and statues were blown away by the sheer force of the wave, and Leader-1 took the full force of the blast head on, shearing off armor, shattering his optic visor, ripping into his arms and legs and destroying the canton. He could even scream as he was nearly torn apart and his internal components were severely damaged from the concussive force alone.

 D-Va ran for Annie just as the wave battered the gold piles and she jumped on the girl to protect her from the fast flying objects that definitely would’ve broken from bones. Annie shut her eyes and held on to D-Va for dear life as the blast rattled her ear drums and blinded her.

XXXXXX

 The Street Action Team ran through the halls towards the location when they detected the huge energy wave that rattled the entire tomb. It didn’t take them long to realize that their partners were in trouble and the minute the effects of the stasis beam wore off, they separated from their combined state and ran to aid their friends. They weren’t completely a hundred percent, but they will fight to protect their charges.

 When they reached the chamber, they saw only darkness. The crystals illuminating the chamber were shattered and there was thousands upon thousands of gold objects lying around on the ground, but no sign of their friends.

 “Guys! Are you in here?” High Wire called out.

 “If you’re okay, answer back!” Sureshock yelled.

 “We’re okay! But you need to come get us!” D-Va’s voice called back.

 High Wire sagged in relief and led his team into the chamber, using his headlight to light the way. As they climbed over the mounds of fallen treasure, Grindor tripped over something and fell on his face.

 “Ow! What the hell did I-whoa!” Grindor scrambled back as he saw that he tripped over someone’s body.

 It was Leader-1…or what was left of him. The mech looked like he took a phase charge to the face and was thrown into a grinder afterwards. He was little more than a broken torso with his head attached and his limbs were just little dangling pieces of metal and energon barely connected to his body. They would’ve thought he was dead had it not been for the pain groans coming from his static ridden vocoder.

 “Wow…” Sureshock gasped.

 “What…happened to him?” High Wire asked.

 “You have Darren to thank for that.” D-Va’s voice said behind them.

 She walked up to them with an unconscious Darren on her back. Annie was helping Gina along as well, a stasis panel clutched in her arms. High Wire noticed that the girls look tired and exhausted from their ordeal. Something big happened down here, but the Minicons were wise enough not to inquire further.

 High Wire traded a worried glance with his team before calling it in. “Optimus, we have the panel. Mission accomplished.”

XXXXXX

 Megatron was not so proud enough to admit that things were not going his way right now and that the mission was probably lost already. He was seriously wounded, by his own soldiers no less, and of the Cons he brought on the mission, only Thundercracker was still in the fight. Skywarp had been taken out by Skyfire after trying to shoot down Prime and was in the process of hounding Thundercracker across the sky.

 As for Megatron himself, he was left alone with three high ranking Autobots who actually knew how to fight. Numbers didn’t concern him, since he fought larger numbers in the past. But he was wounded and that last missile strike damaged his fusion cannon. He wasn’t too concerned about Prowl, but Ironhide and Prime were strong fighters together. The only way he can salvage this mission was to acquire the panel and retreat.

 ‘Where the hell is Leader-1?’ Megatron thought. ‘He should’ve gotten the damn panel by now. How hard is it to squash a couple of Minicons and their human pets with a beam cannon?’

 The silence between the four combatants was broken when Prime got a call on his comm. Listening to the message, Optimus straightened up and Megatron knew it wasn’t anything good for him.

 “It would seem that Leader-1 and Grid have been disposed of, quite brutally I might add.” Optimus said. “Now you have two choices: leave and take your broken soldiers back to your base, or you can stay here, keep fighting, lose Thundercracker and try to take on all of us alone after suffering damages from your own soldiers. It’s your decision.”

 “But it’d be nice if you chose option two.” Ironhide commented.

 Megatron glared at Optimus for a moment before sheathing arm blade and standing back. “I know when I’m beat, Prime. But don’t get too comfortable with your win.” He warned. “My retribution is as swift as my wrath. And there are other ways to win a battle without firing a shot.”

 Megatron signaled the Nemesis and had Soundwave perform an orbital bounce that transported himself and his team off the battlefield. As soon as the Cons were gone, the Autobots relaxed their guard.

 “That was intense.” Prowl said. Ironhide nodded in agreement.

 “Yeah, I thought we were going to have a hard time dealing with them.” he said.

 Skyfire landed next to him and brushed off some sand from her shoulders. “Damn I’m good.”

 “Oh, shut up.” Prowl sighed.

 Optimus walked over to the opening where the Minicons and kids were just leaving the surface. Looking at the haggard state of the children, Optimus looked questioningly at High Wire, who sighed.

 “We’ll explain later when we get back to base.” He assured Prime. “Right now, we all need some rest.”

 “And a long nap.” Annie groaned.

XXXXXX

 Ratchet was hard at work in the medical bay as he treated Darren and Annie for their conditions. Annie had suffered from skin burn from the energy wave she narrowly avoided and Darren was resting from overexertion of his powers. Annie accepted the long process of applying ointment to her skin, knowing that if he didn’t do it, Debbie would, and she wouldn’t be gentle with it.

 Darren regained consciousness a little while after they returned to the Ark. Using his powers the way he had back in the tomb had put enough strain on his body to make him pass out. He was fine otherwise, but he had a headache the size of Skyfire’s ego.

 “How are you feeling, Darren?” Gina asked as she sat at his bedside.

 “Like crap. My head is still pounding and my body feels ten times heavier.” He groaned, rubbing his forehead. 

 “You should’ve seen yourself, Darren. You just created your own amalgam armor, just like those amalgams on television!” Gina said smiling. She was really interested in seeing how he was able to do that up close, but that could wait. “And if it makes you feel any better, you tore Leader-1 a new porthole.”

 Darren grinned at that. “Yeah, that does make me feel better. So, who’s the new Minicon?”

 “He’s a speedster named Incinerator. He’s doing fine at the moment, Sparkplug’s giving him a rundown of the situation.” She explained. “He’s a friendly mech but a bit insecure. So watch what you say around him.”

 “Will do.” He nodded.

 Gina went quiet for a minute and looked down at her hands. “Thank you…for saving me. I’m sorry you almost hurt yourself protecting me. I wasn’t really thinking when I ran off to get the panel.”

 “It’s not your fault. We’ve made it out and that’s what matters. And besides,” Darren reached into his pockets and pulled out a handful of gold and jewels. “I managed to swipe some stuff from the tomb before the fighting started. A little something for our troubles.”

 Darren picked up a sapphire ring and took her hand, placing the ring on her finger. He only realized what he did when Gina’s face went red and blushed himself. Gina looked up at him and launched herself at Darren, engulfing him in a tight hug. His blush deepened when she gave him a big kiss on the cheek, smiling like a madwoman.

 “Jinkies, Darren,” She cooed. “You’re the best friend a nerd like me can ask for.”

XXXXXX

 Elsewhere in the Ark, a more serious conversation was taking place between Optimus and Prowl in the privacy of the Prime’s quarters.

 “It happened again. The Decepticons got the jump on us again with intel on where the panel is.” Prowl said. He was sure of it now, though he hated to be right. “One of the Minicons is a spy.”

 Optimus had to agree with them. That coordinated ambush in the Valley of the Kings, followed by the attack on the children with Leader-1 armed with a weapon that took out the kids’ guardian gestalt, it was no longer some coincidence. There really was a spy in their ranks…but who?

 “Optimus, we can’t let the Minicons roam free anymore. As of today, they’re a security risk and a threat to our continued mission on this planet.” Prowl requested. “We can let them on or off the Ark until we get to the bottom of this.”

 “Out of the question.” Optimus said firmly. “We are not treating the Minicons like criminals. They distrust us enough as it is without us taking away their freedoms.”

 “Optimus, they’re conspiring against us!” Prowl said, trying not to shout. “We need to nip this weed in the bud before it grows out of control.”

 ‘When did it turn from one spy to a whole Minicon conspiracy?’ Optimus thought. “I will not strip away their rights and blindly convict them without even knowing the identity of the spy. If we do that, then we risk alienating the Minicons and possibly playing right into the spy’s hands.”

 It was known among the Autobots that the Minicons were only just beginning to trust them thanks to the various friendships the members of Team Prime have with their Minicon partners. The Minicons were more inclined to trust the children, who have done their part in making sure they felt at home and helped them as much as they could. Optimus had to admit, it was due in part to the kids that relations with the Minicons were so well, but one wrong move could cause friction between both races.

 “Then what do you suggest we do? Wait for the spy to sabotage us and kill one of our friends?” Prowl asked.

 Optimus sighed and leaned back in his chair. “We act now, and any chance of us finding the spy will be lost. Right now, secrecy is key. When the spy strikes again, that is when we will act. And we need to narrow down whose working against us before we start pointing fingers. You were a private investigator, Prowl. This shouldn’t be new to you.”

 Prowl’s already dark mood worsened as Optimus brought up a part of his life that he long since buried. Both he and Prime were once apart of Cybertron’s law enforcement caste, though on different levels. He knew they had to go about this gingerly to avoid alerting their target. Besides, he already had his group of suspects to watch.

 One of the four Minicons that came on the Egyptia mission.

XXXXXX

 It late night as the Minicon femme sat apart from her fellow Minicon and their Autobot partner Arcee. She was talking into her comm channel in hushed whispers, but her caller on the other line wasn’t speaking so quietly.

 _“Why didn’t you tell me that the boy had that kind of power?”_ Leader-1 shouted into her audial. The femme winced and lowered her comm’s volume.

 “Don’t blame me,” She replied heatedly. “I warned you that he was a wildcard with his powers. It’s not my fault you decided to rush in like a gun-toting maniac.”

 _“Don’t get fresh with me.”_ He snarled. _“Those brats…they’re pissed me off for the last time. They’ve been a thorn in our side for too long and I will not stand by as they continually insult me honor as a Decepticon. Before it was business…but now it’s personal.”_

The femme sighed. “Leader-1…”

 _“You want to hurt the Autobots as much as they’ve hurt us, don’t you?”_ He demanded.

 “Yes, I want that more than anything else in the world.” And that was true, she wanted vengeance for the pain they’ve caused her, but she had a feeling that she wasn’t going to like what Leader-1 had planned.

 _“Then we’ll hit them where it hurts. Attack their heart and let them bleed out. Make them truly suffer.”_ Leader-1 said with sadistic glee at the thought. _“When you get the chance on the next mission you have with them, kill the humans.”_

“What?!” The femme exclaimed.

_“You heard me. I don’t care how you do it, just snuff them out. Make sure the Autobots feel the pain of loss that we’ve suffered at their hands. Only then will be able to get our revenge on the Autobots!”_

The femme sighed and cut the comm-link to look at the starless sky. For the first time since she left her home on Epistemus, D-Va felt true fear.

 

 

 


	22. Chariot of the Gods

Chapter 21-Chariot of the Gods

 The Kokkari Mountains of northeast Usea was the second largest mountain range in Xing, second only to the Himalayas. Despite the difference in size, its scale was nothing to sniff at. Many people would often try conquering the Kokkari Mountains before tackling the Himalayas, trying to climb to the snowy peaks atop the mountains. As such, many climbers and travelers died from harsh weather conditions and the thin air that made it hard to breathe. That didn’t count the ungodly winter conditions, unstable rocky terrain and the occasional avalanche. Basically, if you couldn’t climb the Kokkari, then forget about the Himalayas.

 That didn’t stop Optimus from dragging Jazz along for a little climb up the mountains.

 The two Autobots were spending their free time climbing the steep mountainside with nothing but their bare hands. As the harsh, cold wings and low oxygen count didn’t affect them, the only thing they had to worry about was losing their grip and tumbling down the side all the way to the bottom. And it was a long way down.

 “When Ironhide told me that you took him hiking in the Grav-Haraan glacial plains, I didn’t believe him.” Jazz grunted as he slowly climbed the rocky slope. “Yet here we are, climbing up the side of one of the tallest mountains in the world. What the hell is wrong with you, boss bot?”

 “This helps me clear my head, Jazz.” Optimus said. He was standing on a ledge just a few feet higher than Jazz’s position. He had no trouble getting up there. “I thought Yoketron trained his warriors just as vigorously as this.”

 “He made us move boulders up a hill using only our feet and taught us how to balance on our fingers. Not make us climb mountains.” Jazz yelled up at him. “He wanted to make us stronger, not kill us. You’re just a sadist who thinks mountain climbing is a great way to clear your sinuses.”

 “We all have our hobbies, Jazz. Mine just involves immersing myself in the beauty of nature.” Optimus replied.

 Optimus looked at the vast expanse of mountains around him. Standing atop of the mountain like this, surrounded only by unaltered natural formations really helped clear his mind of distractions. The fresh cool air cleared his senses and the isolation this all provided helped him gather his thoughts. Ironhide may still hold a grudge for that particular trip to Cybertron’s glacial plains, but Prime knew he was just a bit grump about it. Though he wouldn’t say it to his bodyguard’s face, Ironhide was getting up there in years and mountain hiking would do his old servos some good.

 As Jazz finally reached the ledge, Prime helped his friend onto the cliff and they looked out into the distance together. Talking about the past reminded them of Cybertron, which brought back some memories, some good, some bad. It brought back memories of a Cybertron that wasn’t ravaged by war, a world that still supported them despite the corruption that seeped into society.

 “Reminds me of the Manganese Mountains.” Jazz said after a short period of silence. “If you watch the mountains at just the right angle, the sunrise would make it look like they were glowing. You’ve never seen them in person, have you?”

 “No, never got the chance.” Optimus answered. “Even in my off time, I never thought to check them out. It never seemed to appeal to me.”

 “Ha, you never know what you’ve lost until you lose it.” Jazz remarked. “Maybe I should ask Elita-1 to lend you some holo-vids on it. She still has her collection from her time working at the Hall of Records.”

 “She does?”

 “Yeah, surprises me too.” Jazz smiled. “Though…I guess some of us don’t want to leave behind parts of our home.”

 “That’s true.” Optimus muttered, thinking back to the silver feather he had sitting in a special drawer in his quarters on the Ark.

 With all the fighting and planning, it was easy for them to forget their lives before the war. Autobots or Decepticons, some had worse lives than others before the Uprising, but others had fond memories of times when all they had to worry about was getting to work on time or completing a project before a deadline. When the war started and their planet began to die, some kept mementos of their previous lives to remind themselves of what they were…who they were, amidst all the fighting and killing. Optimus wondered if Megatron had his own mementos of his old life.

 ‘Of course he does,’ Optimus thought sadly. ‘It’s the reason he hates me so much.’

_“Optimus,”_ Wheeljack’s voice said through the comm. _“This is Wheeljack, do you copy?”_

“We hear you, Wheeljack. What’s the problem?” Asked Optimus.

_“Teletran-1 just picked up a strange energy reading in the middle of the Ravana Rainforest in Sunehra. I can’t identify it, but it seems like something worth checking out.”_

“Understood, we’ll investigate it.” Optimus signed off and turned to Jazz. “Looks like our hike is canceled.”

 “Aw, what a shame.” Jazz faked sadness and stretched his sore limbs. “Too bad, it was just getting good too. Where are we going?”

 “To a place you’ve had your eye on for a while now.” Optimus said.

XXXXXX

 The humidity of the Ravana Rainforest made Songbird’s armor glisten as she scouted the forest from above. Her audio and visual sensors were amped up to maximum, allowing her to hear all sorts of sounds in the jungle, namely animal life, but none of what she was looking for. Even with infrared vision, she couldn’t see much in this dense area of vegetation. Seeing that she wasn’t making much progress from the air, Songbird circled around and flew back to her mistress.

 She dived into the canopy, her wings folding through the vines and branches in her path for clearance. Once she made it out, she flew in low and landed on an outstretched black armored arm.

 “Did you find anything, Songbird?” Nightshade asked.

 “No, mistress,” Songbird answered. “The rainforest is too thick to properly explore from the air, but from what I can gather, the energy signal is a long ways off from our position.”

 “Perfect.” Nightshade sighed.

 “I could have told you that. With all this vegetation around, trying to scan the forest would’ve been a time wasting idea.”

 Nightshade glared back at Megatron, who was leaning against a tree looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. They went to the Ravana Rainforest in southern Sunehra in search of what caused the energy reading that Soundwave stumbled upon by chance. Since Soundwave couldn’t properly get a fix on its location, they had to go there in person and travel by foot for the origin point.

 “The energy signature is permeating throughout the region.” Soundwave explained. “It is hard to pinpoint its location, as the energy is coming from the land itself. The best course of action would be to explore the area and look for anything out of the ordinary.

 And so here they were, smack dab in one of the largest rainforests in the world, covered in condensation and plagued by the small insects crawling between their armor panels all over. Thirty minutes passed since they arrived and they had nothing to go on so far.

 “Well what do you suggest, Megatron?” Nightshade asked snidely. “Surely you must have a plan that’ll help us find our target before the Autobots start sniffing around.”

 They both got a call on their comms from Soundwave. _“Megatron, Nightshade, Autobot signatures detect near your position.”_

“Where are they going, Soundwave?” Megatron asked.

 “ _Northwest of your position, towards the waterfall. That area had not been explored by humans beyond that point.”_ Soundwave said.

 “See what I meant? Now we have to rush to beat them.” Nightshade huffed.

_“Furthermore, I have identified one of the Autobots as Optimus Prime.”_

Seeing Megatron smile at that, Nightshade asked, “What are you smiling about?”

 “Nightshade, in the mega-cycles I’ve spent fighting Optimus, I’ve learned that if you are searching for a relic of great importance, then Prime will not be too far away, and he’ll be out guiding star to our prize.” Megatron said. “Because nine times out of ten, he knows where he’s going.”

 Megatron stood up and walked past his subordinate, smacking aside the trees in his way. “Come, Nightshade, let us see what else this world has to offer.”

XXXXXX

 “I have to say, boss bot,” Jazz said as he untangled some vines that stuck to his arms. “As much as I like being on this planet, this place might be my least favorite place on Terra.”

 “How so?” Optimus asked.

 “Aside from the little creepy crawlies trying to sneak into my armor, this heat and getting smacked in the face by tree branches is starting to kill my battlefield buzz.”Jazz said. “Seriously, I can feel my joints rusting.”

 “You’ll have to bear with it, Jazz. I have a feeling the fauna and climate will be the least of our worries soon enough.” Optimus said.

 Despite the light-hearted banter with his friend, Optimus was not in high spirits. Ever since he entered the Ravana forest, he felt small but noticeable emanations coming from the Matrix. He had no idea what it meant, since the Matrix wasn’t showing him any visions or anything else that might hint at its intentions, but he hoped it wasn’t a sign of trouble in the near future. At best, he deduced that it might have something to do with the energy signature.

 It wasn’t so much as the Matrix trying to tell him something as it was some object resonating with the Matrix. Resonating enough to cause a reaction from the usually dormant Matrix. Optimus wasn’t sure what they were going to find, but he hoped it wasn’t anything dangerous; after fighting Talon and the Colchis Bull in the Agean Islands, he had his fill of local terrors. Optimus shook his head at that; who was he kidding? Knowing their luck, they were probably going to run into something just as bad as Talon.

 “So,” Jazz began. “How long do you think it will be before we run into any Cons?”

 The sound of an explosion in the distance followed by the crackling of falling trees fill the air. Jazz put his hands on his waist and cursed his timing.

 “That answers my question.” He muttered and looked at Prime. “What’s our game plan?”

 “We keep going. We know where the Decepticons are, and we have a lead, something I want to maintain for the time being.” Optimus said and continued onward.

 Jazz looked back just in time to see more trees fall in the distance and followed his leader. They knew the Cons were bound to run into them sooner or later. The thing was making sure their meeting was on their terms. The jungle made it very easy to get ambushed and Jazz started wishing he could use his wheels for this mission.

XXXXXX

 Optimus and Jazz spent a good part of the hour trudging through the thick jungle, deeper than any human had managed in recent history. They didn’t exactly know where they were and they had no idea if there were small pockets of local tribes inhabiting this area. Many explorers were forced to turn back because of either lack of supplies, infectious wounds that couldn’t be healed properly, poisonous insects and dangerous animals and the sheer length of the journey itself. And they had maps and guides, the two Autobots only had their scanners to go on…and the Matrix, but honestly, it wasn’t helping all that much.

 Optimus pushed aside a few trees and came upon the edge of a large river, one that was violent enough to drag a mech his size under the surface and the current strong enough to sweep him over the waterfall only a few feet away from them. He could only imagine the long drop over the edge. Jazz walked up next to him and whistled at the rushing currents.

 “This is a doozy.” Jazz remarked. “Got any ideas on getting across this thing?”

 “Only two, and one of them involves jumping over the river.” Optimus said.

 “And the second plan?”

 “Jumping over in vehicle mode.”

 “Yeah, that’s no better.” Jazz frowned and calculated the distance between them and the other side in his head. “Maybe I could shoot my grappling hook over to the nearest tree on the other side and pull myself over. Then I can grapple you across as well.”

 “Would it hold my weight?” Optimus asked.

 “If it can hold Bulkhead’s big trunk, then I’m confident it can hold you, boss bot.” Jazz replied and then added, “At least for a little while.”

 After a few seconds hesitation (too long in Jazz’s case) Optimus nodded his consent and Jazz fired his grappling hook across the river and managed to snag the closest tree to the edge. Making sure the line was secure, Jazz pulled himself over the river and landed perfectly on the other side, only slightly wet. He turned to fire his line at Prime, but paused when he saw something behind Optimus.

 “Optimus, you’ve got incoming!” He yelled.

 Optimus spun around and fired his ion cannon at the dark shape that was flying right at him-Nightshade. Nightshade hissed as she dodged the ion blast shot at her and deployed her missile payload from her wings. Optimus ran back into the trees to avoid the explosions peppering the riverbed and returned fire to drive her off.

 Nightshade narrowed her eyes and circled around for another strike, but a photon blast hit her right wing and almost knocked her into the river. She transformed and hovered in the air, glaring down at Jazz.

 “Sorry!” He called up to her with a grin. “He wasn’t sorry.

 Optimus was about to shoot her down when his danger senses made him roll aside just as a plasma beam came at him from behind. The blast tore through the trees and flew all the way to the other side of the river, vaporizing the trees next to Jazz. Optimus got up and saw Megatron running out of the forest charging at him.

 “Prime!” Megatron roared.

 “I’m right here. You don’t have to shout.” Optimus said.

 Megatron’s arm blade slid out and he slashed at Optimus, who backpedaled and  brought out his axe. But Megatron didn’t give him a chance to fight back and slammed his whole body into him, sending both mechs tumbling over the edge and into the rushing waters of the river.

 “Optimus!” Jazz exclaimed.

 The two leaders fought even as they were taken away by the strong currents towards the menacing waterfall just a few feet away from them. Optimus tried to grab hold of a rock to anchor himself, but Megatron kept trying to wrap his hands around his neck every time he took his attention off the Decepticon leader for a second.

 “We’re going to fall if we don’t stop fighting, Megatron!” Optimus yelled at Megatron.

 “Unlike you, Prime, I was smart enough to bring my own personal flyer along on this mission.” Megatron grinned.

 Jazz ran along the riverside, firing his rifle at Megatron’s back, but the photon blasts did little against Megatron’s armor. Jazz sent Optimus a comm message detailing his plan to pull him back onto land and Optimus nodded as he continued grappling with Megatron.

 “You may like making every battle one last stand, Megatron,” Optimus pulled out his ion cannon and pointed it at Megatron’s face. “But I’m of a different mind.”

 He fired the cannon and Megatron’s vision was blinded by white hot pain as a burst of energy engulfed his head. Startled and in pain, Megatron lost his grip on Optimus and Jazz fired his grappling hook at Optimus, who caught the line. Jazz dug his feet into the ground to keep himself from being pulled into the river, but all he managed to do was dig trenches into the ground. He had to pull Prime to shore and there was little time to do so as the waterfall was rapidly approaching.

 Jazz angled himself towards a tree and planted his feet against the tree to stop himself. As the trunk creaked and cracked from the pressure being put on it, Jazz reeled the line back in and brought Optimus back to land. Megatron, though half blind, was still able to see Prime being pulled to safety and wasn’t having it at all.

 “No, Prime,” Megatron growled, aiming his fusion cannon. “If I go, you’re coming with me!”

 He fired his fusion cannon, not at Prime, but at the tree Jazz was standing on. It blew the tree to splinters and Jazz lost his leverage. Optimus lost his only line to safety and was once again in the powerful embrace of the river, with Jazz falling into the water behind him.

 Nightshade circled the river in the sky and saw Megatron approaching the edge of the waterfall. She flew down and under the misty spray of the waterfall just as Megatron went over the edge. He reached his arm out and she grabbed hold of him with her sharp talons, his heavy weight making her falter a bit before she fired up her miniature jet engines and regained her aerial balance.

 “You took your time.” Megatron said. Nightshade glared down at him.

 “You’re welcome.” She said. “And for the record, I just got a strong lead on the energy source. It looks like the trail leads through the cave behind the waterfall.”

 “So fate smiles down on us, even now.” Megatron smiled. “Go, Nightshade, let us see what secrets lie inside.”

 “What about the Autobots?”

 “Neither Prime or his lackey can fly. Still, if nature doesn’t smash their bodies to pieces, we can return and finish the job.”

 Up above, Optimus and Jazz were still nearing the waterfall. Optimus was just barely able to keep his head above water, and Jazz was unable to properly right himself. The cold water, while not as debilitating to them as it is to humans, was still enough to rattle his circuits. He tried to fire his grappling hook again, but Optimus stopped him.

 “Wait!” Prime shouted over the loud currents.

 “Wait for what? We’re about to fall off a waterfall, boss bot!” Jazz said.

 “That’s the idea!” Optimus replied.

 Jazz wondered if the cold water really was having an effect on Prime’s processor as he was pulled under the surface and then began to fall over the edge. Time seemed to slow down as they began to fall over the cliff along with the water, gravity taking hold of their large bodies as they descended into the large cavern under them.

 It was a long drop, so long that the falling water spread out in a fine mist and was blown away by strong winds before it even got half way to the bottom. The Autobots were not made of water, and thus they faced a very real danger of hitting the bottom with enough force to shatter them into a thousand pieces. But luckily, Optimus had a plan.

 “Jazz, fire your line over there!” Optimus pointed to the spot where the water turned to mist.

 Jazz did as commanded, firing the line a good distance from them through the water and hook it on the rock wall behind it. The watery mist wasn’t strong enough to dislodge the hook from where it was embedded and he was safe. Grabbing Prime’s hand, Jazz reeled them in, shooting past the wet mist and towards the rocky cliff face. He grabbed the rocks with his hands while Optimus dug his axe into the stone to hook his large body to the wall.

 “So, what now?” Jazz asked. “I’m pretty sure that climbing back up is out of the question.”

 “Is it? Look,” Optimus pointed at the large cave entrance that was behind the waterfall. “We’re on the right track. All we need to do is follow Megatron’s example and let out enemies lead the way for us.”

XXXXXX

 The cave led deeper into the side of the mountain than Megatron and Nightshade originally believed. The cavern was large enough to accommodate their sizes and the water reached up to their calves. The deeper they went, the darker it got, but Megatron was sure they were going in the right direction. Granted, the organic critters flying around their heads was getting annoying.

 ‘If another bay flies by my head one more time.’ Nightshade growled mentally. As if to taunt her, more bats fluttered around her head and she smacked her forehead against a stalactite.

 Before she started lighting up the cave in anger, Megatron grabbed her shoulder and pointed at the beam of sunlight just in front of them. “Stay the course, Nightshade. It won’t do to lose your temper now.”

 They walked to the cave opening and exited into the hot, humid air of another forest. This area was different, however, as just a few feet ahead there was an old city. The city was empty and showed signs of long term abandonment with worn stone buildings with tipped rooftops and large streets and plazas. Statues of ancient pagan deities stood tall and strong despite some having lost large chunks of stone that made up their construction.

 The water they were walking in went through a canal that likely ran throughout the entire city, and judging from the boats sitting at the bottom of said canals, they were used as a mode of transportation for the people who lived here. The only sounds in the settlement were the large metallic footsteps of the two Cons as they traveled deeper into the city.

 “I don’t recall there being a city this deep in Sunehra.” Nightshade said softly. Something about this place made her hesitant to speak louder than a whisper. “I wonder what this place is.”

 “We didn’t come here to ponder the humans’ leftovers, Nightshade. We have a job to do.” Megatron said, sniffing at an armless statue. “Can you pinpoint the energy reading now?”

 Nightshade checked her scanner and waved it around. She smirked when she saw the indicator hit the red zone when she pointed the device at the temple near the central plaza. “Looks like we check out the heart of the city.”

 Megatron nodded and collapsed into his tank mode, rolling through the streets like the massive war machine he was, carelessly of the noise he was creating in the quiet city. Nightshade detached Songbird from her arm and placed her on top of a house.

 “Watch the cave. I want to know if the Autobots were able to make it out of their predicament.”

 “Understood, mistress. I will keep watch.” The Minicon nodded.

 “Don’t call-never mind.” Nightshade sighed and changed into beast mode to follow after Megatron.

 Songbird watched her mistress fly away deeper into the city and then turned her head 360 degrees towards the canal entrance. No one was getting into the city without her knowing.

XXXXXX

 As he drove through the ancient city, Megatron noticed that there were a lot of statues depicting a large winged reptilian creature with great reverence. He cared not if the beast was a god or not, but he knew that it was a dragon, a rare but powerful beast that humanity both feared and worshipped. He never saw a real dragon in person, but from what he learned from Soundwave, they were quite the sight to behold. Megatron wondered what it would be like to have a dragon of his own.

 Nightshade was the first to reach the temple. It was the largest building in the city, built out of a nearby mountain side in a ziggurat construction. She eyed the dragon statues sitting at the base of the long staircase leading into the mountain with hesitation.

 “I have a bad feeling about this.” She muttered.

_“Nightshade, are you there, yet?”_ Megatron asked.

 “Yes, I’m flying over the pyramid.” She replied. “I can detect the energy reading inside the mountain. This is the place.”

_“Go inside and see what’s causing the energy reading.”_ Megatron ordered as he rolled up to the base of the temple. _“I will stand guard here.”_

 Nightshade flew around the temple, trying to find an opening to enter through. Seeing no entrance, she decided to make her own and fired two missiles from her wings. The tiny projectiles hit the peak of the temple with a loud explosion that echoed throughout the city. When the smoke cleared, she saw that the interior of the temple looked mostly, if not completely, hollow.

 ‘That’s interesting.’ Nightshade thought.

 Just as she was rearing to dive through the temple roof, a loud roar pierced the air that could be heard for miles. Nightshade squawked in surprise and Megatron transformed to look around.

 “What was that?” He asked.

 Nightshade saw the cave near the top of the temple connected by a single bridge shake a bit as something large was passing through the tunnel. She landed on the bridge and transformed to robot mode, converting her arm into a blaster. Peering into the cave, all she saw were a pair of slitted golden eyes before a stream of fire was shot out of the tunnel.

 “Scrap!” Nightshade jumped off the bridge to avoid getting severely burned by the wave of fire that bathed the shattered top of the temple.

 She dived toward the ground and landed next to Megatron as a large reptile came stomping out of the cave, spouting fire from its mouth. It had to be almost as large as an airship, with leathery wings on its forelegs and powerful hind legs with a large body and a long neck ending with a narrow head that spat fire from its fang ridden mouth. Its scales were a beautiful shade of green that glinted in the sunlight and its wings were extremely wide.

 This dragon was the naga, a species of dragon native to Sunehra. And Megatron and Nightshade just blew a hole in its nest.

XXXXXX

 Songbird heard the dragon’s roar from her spot on the other side of the city. It made her entire body shake in fear and surprise and she nearly fell off the statue she was perched on. Startled, she looked back to where her mistress and Megatron went and saw the giant beast flapping its wings and shooting fire into the sky.

 “What is that?” She gasped. Where did that thing come from? Never mind, she needed to call Nightshade and see what was going on. “Mistress, are you there? What’s happening? Where did that beast-“

 She was cut off when a laser bolt hit her statue, destroying it and sending her falling to the ground. Songbird instinctively shifted into her weapon mode and spun around, firing her plasma beam, but she missed and another bolt hit her in the side. She slammed against a wall and fell to the ground, reverting to robot mode as she fell unconscious from the impact.

 “That was easy.” Jazz said as he and Optimus exited the cave. “Now, where is…” He trailed off as he saw the dragon in the distance. “Damn it. Can’t we get a mission that doesn’t involve fragging giants and monsters on this world?”

 “I’m afraid that’s a tall order for the forces that be, Jazz.” Optimus said. He narrowed his eyes when he saw a fireball heading straight at them. “Incoming!”

 They jumped apart as the fireball hit the ground where they stood, leveling a building and left a deep crater in the ground. Optimus ran to the edge of the crater and looked inside to see what was fired at them.

 It was Megatron. The Decepticon leader was sitting at the bottom of the crater with smoke rising off his body like he just fell out of orbit. His armor was heavily scorched and blackened from being doused in intense flames and were warped in some places from the heat. Megatron himself looked like he took a head on punch from Omega Supreme, with deep cuts and visible teeth marks in his right arm, deep enough for energon to leak from ruptured power lines. He tried to move, but fell back and coughed up smoke.

 “Prime, of course.” Megatron rasped. “First I get thrown a mile across a backwater city and my worst enemy stands above me gloating. What else could happen today? Starscream throws me off the Nemesis?”

 “No one is gloating, Megatron.” Optimus said.

 “Please,” He grinned. “You know you want to.”

 The green scaled dragon that had thrown Megatron almost the entire length of the city was now chasing Nightshade like a shark chasing after fish. She weaved through the air in a series of complicated maneuvers to get it off her tail, but the dragon was faster in the air than on land. Nightshade spun in the air and fired a few missiles at the dragon to at least scare it away, so imagine her surprise when she saw the dragon twist its body in the air and smack away the missiles with its tail, its scales unharmed by the intense flames they produced. Nightshade noticed too late that it uncoiled its tail like a whip and she was hit by the brunt of its appendage, sending her flying through the air.

 Optimus and Jazz watched with wide eyes as Nightshade flew into the temple hard enough to smash through the stone and go right through it.

 “She’s gonna feel that in the morning.” Jazz winced.

 The dragon swerved its head towards the two Autobots, its emerald green eyes flashing with rage at seeing more intruders in its territory. Optimus and Jazz wasted no time in running in the opposite direction just as the dragon lowered its head and fired a large, intense plume of flames at them. The attack bathed the entire street in flames and nearly blew up a building in their path. Optimus jumped out of the way of a falling boulder and fired his ion cannon at the beast.

 He didn’t fire at anything vital, not wanting to kill the beast in its own land, but the dragon dodged his blast just when he pulled the trigger. Dragon’s were the smartest animals in the world, and it’s what allowed them to survive the expansion of humanity’s reach in the world.  This dragon already figured out that the strange objects these shiny humans were carrying were dangerous and resolved to avoid any of the glowing things they shot at it.

 The dragon charged at the Autobots and rammed its head into Optimus, smacking him away with its hard skull. Optimus tried to grab its horns but it snapped its head back and batted him aside with its forearm. The dragon reared back to clamp its jaws around Prime, but a purple beam shot past its snout and blew apart the statue behind it. Glaring down at the attacker, its gaze focused on Megatron, his fusion cannon raised and smoking from the barrel.

 “Try fighting someone who’s stronger, beast!” Megatron roared and extended his blade. “I am Megatron! I’ve fought creatures larger than you!”

 ‘You have to admire his tenacity, at least.’ Optimus thought as he slowly flanked the dragon. He quickly ran to its back and climbed onto the length of its spine, holding on to the ridges of its back spikes as it began to move.

 “Come at me, beast! Where’s that ferocity you love throwing around so carelessly?!” Megatron taunted, slamming his fists together. 

 The dragon roared again and snapped its head down, jaws wide open to snap Megatron in half. Megatron, ever the warrior, gave a roar of his own and leapt at the dragon. Both mech and beast charged at each other, ready to kill the other in mortal combat.

XXXXXX

 Nightshade groaned as she pushed the last of the rocks off her. She got to her knees but hissed when she flexed her wings a bit. They weren’t severely damaged, but her right wing was slightly bent out of shape and she could tell that she wouldn’t be doing any fancy flying in the near future.

 “That was fun. One more thing to add to my list of things I hate about this planet.” Nightshade muttered and looked up. She could see where she crashed through the wall after the dragon smacked her into the side of the temple. She was amazed that she wasn’t in pieces now after hitting the stone at those speeds.

 Then she realized that she actually was inside the temple. Just as she thought, the interior was completely hollow and large enough to accommodate the size of an average cybertronian. Not to mention the energy signature was very strong at the moment. Granted, the temple wasn’t completely featureless; there was a deep pool of water leading from excess water from the canals outside and a statue of a giant elephant at the center of the pool. Nightshade looked at her scanner and saw the signal coming from the pool.

 Narrowing her eyes, she walked forward and entered the pool, almost tripping when her foot lost traction and she was immediately in waist deep water. Swimming forward, she reached the elephant statue and dived under the surface, scanning the pool for anything out of the ordinary.

 To her pleasant surprise, she did find something. It was a bow, one that was as tall as a full grown man and deep silver, looking more ceremonial than functional. Nightshade swam up to the bow and picked it up, and to her shock, it suddenly grew in size to match her grip.

 ‘What the hell?!’ Nightshade gaped at the bow in her hands, which was now large enough to wield with both hands. She swam back to the surface and quickly got back onto the platform, looking at her newest weapon. Obviously, the energy surge was coming from this thing, but it didn’t look like anything special.

 That is, until she pulled the string, then a small arrow of light manifested in the bow string, and it vanished when she quickly let the string go, startled. It was like an energon bow, but more fluid and less flashy. Nightshade pulled the string farther back, and the arrow appeared again, stronger and brighter this time.

 “How is this possible?” Nightshade wondered aloud. This bow was thousands of years old and had no signs of advanced energy projection technology that would allow such a function to be possible, and the bow itself looked pristine and spotless. How did the humans have such a weapon in their possession?

_“Nightshade!”_

Megatron’s voice bellowed from her comm and she quickly answered back. “Megatron?”

_“Nightshade, answer me, damn you!”_ He grunted on the other line. She could hear him but the reception in the temple made him unable to hear her. _“If you’re still alive, get your ass here now! I need assistance!”_

This command was followed by a loud roar followed by Megatron’s pained grunts. Then the connection was cut. Nightshade looked at the bow in her hands and took a deep breath. It didn’t matter what this weapon was. She had a mission to complete and that meant helping Megatron with their flying lizard problem. With one last look at the ominous elephant statue, she left the chamber with her new bow in hand.

 “All right,” Nightshade said to the bow. “Let’s see what you’re made of.”

 And so Nightshade leapt into the air with her new weapon in hand. The weapon of the hero Arjuna-Gandiva.

XXXXXX

 Megatron rolled to the left to avoid getting crushed by the giant tail of the dragon. He swung his blade into the tail, only for the appendage to slam into him and send him crashing into a building. Jazz grappled onto a statue and fired his photon rifle, but the dragon avoided his blasts and fired its fiery breath at him, forcing him to jump off and onto the ground.

 The dragon chased the Autobot through the streets, continuing to layer the area with a large wave of flames that was so hot Jazz felt that his armor would start warping from the proximity alone. The dragon didn’t let up its assault until Optimus jumped on its head and punched the back of its skull repeatedly. It thrashed around to dislodge him and Optimus jumped off when it tried crushing him as it slammed its head into the ground. Channeling power into his hyper-coil musculature, Optimus delivered a powerful punch to the dragon’s jaw, dazing it long enough for him to land another punch to its snout. Its head smashed into the side of a building and slumped to the ground dazed and in pain. Optimus landed on the ground and ran over to Jazz, who looked a bit darker than when he first came into the city.

 “That was intense.” Jazz breathed.

 “Indeed.” Optimus agreed and looked his friend over. “Are you damaged?”

 “No, I was almost turned to actual slag if you hadn’t jumped in, though. Thanks for the save.”

 Optimus nodded and turned his attention back to the dragon, who was just regaining its senses. It shook its head a little before glaring at the two Autobots, and they stepped back as it picked itself off the ground and growled in anger. Obviously it didn’t appreciate getting punched in the face twice.

 “Jazz, retreat!” Optimus yelled.

 The dragon took a deep breath and fired an intense stream of flames so hot that even Megatron could feel its heat from his spot. Optimus and Jazz transformed and sped away to avoid getting incinerated, but the fireball exploded behind them, blasting them into the air and sending them crashing to the ground. Reverting to robot mode, they stood their ground and faced the dragon, who charged at them to tear them apart.

 Before it could make good on that, however, it froze and turned back to the temple as a loud rumble rang through the air. Standing on top of the temple was Nightshade, who was plucking the string of a huge bow she acquired within the temple’s confines. Each pluck of the string sounded like the distant rumble of thunder and could be heard throughout the city. The dragon roared and flew at her, intent on getting some blood today.

 Nightshade saw it approaching her and activated the jet boosters in her feet to hover in the air. Unable to completely perform aerial maneuvers, she needed to finish this quick before it got hold of her.

 When the dragon got close enough, it shot its fire breath at her and she boosted off the temple as the temple’s top level exploded in a fireball. She angled her wings forward and fired a few missile darts that exploded in the dragon’s face. It wasn’t enough to kill it, as its scales were highly resistant to fire, much less a few tiny missile detonations, but it did distract the beast long enough for her to gain some altitude on it.

 The dragon whipped its head upwards and leapt at her, jaws wide open as it tracked her higher into the sky with Nightshade in its sights. Nightshade spun around so that she was facing the dragon and aimed her bow, looking straight down its mouth. She closed her eyes and pulled the string back, and as she felt the heat of its breath on her body, Nightshade let the string go.

 The crackle of thunder reverberated throughout the entire ancient city as the sky above it lit up like a supernova.

XXXXXX

 Optimus and Jazz sat in the medibay waiting for Ratchet to finish up his finer repairs on their wounds. Their whole bodies ached, but aside from a few dents in the armor, a fractured hand in Optimus’ case-courtesy of punching a dragon in one of the hardest parts of its body twice-and multiple burns, they were in better shape than Megatron, who honestly had it worst than them with his broken and burnt form.

 “So…that was one hell of a mission.” Jazz said conversationally. “Not sure if I want something like that again in my lifetime.”

 “No arguments from me on that front, Jazz.” Optimus said, nursing his stinging hand. “Though, the ramifications of this mission worry me more.”

 “You mean that fancy weapon Nightshade showed off? Who could forget that after seeing her blow the head off a dragon?”

 It was indeed an awe inspiring sight. Nightshade had fired a single shot from that mysterious bow and blew off not only the head of the dragon, but also its upper body. The sound of the strange arrow hitting its target and exploding was like a thunderclap, far greater than anything Blackout could produce with his thunderclap cannon and was surpassed only by natural lightning in intensity. Once the dragon was dead, she and Megatron quickly took a ground out of the city before the Autobots could do anything.

 Optimus was glad she didn’t seek to continue their fight and made Megatron her top priority. They were all wounded and tired, and even with her powerful new weapon, no one would’ve made it out in one piece. Still…the feeling he got from that bow. It was disturbingly similar to the barely noticeable feeling he got when standing close to Mjolnir. Could it be that these supposedly mythical weapons had a similar origin?

 He had no idea, but the more he learned about this world, the more he wondered if they were the first alien visitors to grace this world. Whatever the case, Optimus was sure that there was certainly more to Terra than meets to eye.

 


	23. Memory Lane

Chapter 22-Memory Lane

**Solomus, Cybertron four million years ago**

_The metal world of Cybertron has two moons; Epistemus and Solomus. Unlike most other moons, these moons were something like their own little worlds. Each moon had its own gravity and atmosphere, and was much less populated than Cybertron. There were no massive, sprawling cities that could be seen from space, only small towns and villages populated by the Minicons, the smallest of the cybertronian race who called the two moons home._

_D-Va sat on a rock overlooking a small canyon not too far from her home village, looking up at the night sky. She had sat there for half an hour, just staring up at the big metal ball in the sky that was Cybertron. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice a mech walk up to her until her hugged her from behind._

_“Here you are. I’ve been looking for you.” He said. He was a silver mech with a lithe body that composed his lanky aerial alt mode. He had a clear yellow optic visor that reflected the light of the planet above as he sat next to his lover._

_“You left without a word and I got worried.” Overrun said. “What’s wrong?”_

_“Nothing, just thinking.” She said._

_“About what?”_

_“About…stuff. Like the craziness happening on Cybertron. Did you hear that Zeta Prime’s dead?” D-Va asked. “That along with the energon shortage, the last thing we need is a war. And that’s exactly what’s happening.”_

_Overrun hummed and rubbed her shoulders. D-Va liked to put on a brave face, but she had a habit of hiding her emotions behind an indifferent mask or a fake smile. He tried his best to get her out of that habit, but it was a slow process._

_“We’ll be safe up here.” Overrun promised. “Sparkplug and I are talking with the Autobot leader for some support on the moons.”_

_“Optimus Prime? Are you sure we can trust him, Overrun? He’s a Prime and those slagheaps aren’t exactly role models for protoforms.”_

_“Don’t worry, D-Va. Optimus Prime…he’s the real thing. He’s a mech of the people who might actually give us the respect we deserve.”_

_D-Va wasn’t so sure, but she nodded anyway. Minicons were treated like scrap for a long time now, before and after Sentinel Prime’s reign, treated as nothing more than pests at bests, spies at worst. Zeta Prime did little in that field; if she even remembered that they were up there in the first place. By the time of her induction as Prime, much of Cybertron’s Minicon population had retracted from greater cybertronian society to live in communities on the moons, watching from above as the planet of giants devolved into war and chaos. She could care less about this new Prime, who was too much of an idealist for her liking. Like there would be a Prime who suddenly gave a damn about them._

_“D-Va, we can’t just live on the moons in seclusion while everything goes to hell on Cybertron.” overrun said. “Sooner or later, we’ll need to seek help from the bulks, and I’d rather it’d be from the Autobots than have the Decepticons knocking at our door.”_

_D-Va made a disgruntled noise and crossed her arms. “Yeah, but…”_

_“Hey,” He placed a hand on her face. “Do you trust me?”_

_“Of course I do.” D-Va answered, smiling and took his hand in hers. “Now and forever.”_

XXXXXX

 Darren never saw himself as an empathetic person. He was moderately good at reading people, the consequence of living with a volatile twin sister with a hair trigger temper, but he wasn’t a pro at it like some politicians. This was even more evident with his Autobot and Minicon friends, some of whom had no facial features to show expression. But it wasn’t hard to see that D-Va was feeling a bit under the weather for the past week. Her body language and depressed expression practically screamed sadness. What she was sad about was the question.

 It was a quiet day in the Ark, and some of the Autobots were either off doing their own thing, relaxing, or out on recon. The Minicons were doing the same as well, though Annie had somehow coerced the Minicons to somehow host a video game tournament that looked to be getting out of hand. Wanting to get away from that murderfest in the making, Darren did some exploring around the Minicon quarters and stumbled upon a sad sight.

 D-Va was sitting alone on her recharge slab looking forlornly at a holo-disc she had in her possession. If she could cry, Darren knew she would’ve done so already, and he almost went in to see what was wrong when Sparkplug approached him.

 “Darren?” Sparkplug called out. “What are you doing?”

 “I was about to see if D-Va was doing alright.” Darren said. “She’s been depressed about something since we got back from that mission to Egyptia. It has me worried and I wanted to see what’s bothering her.”

 “Darren, you know she’ll tell us when she’s ready.” Sparkplug said, though Darren knew better than that.

 “You know she won’t say a damn thing to us, Sparkplug.” Darren replied, crossing his arms. Sparkplug couldn’t refute that statement.

 “Yeah, you’re right.” Sparkplug sighed. He looked over his shoulder at D-Va and nodded when he saw what she was doing. “Oh…I see what’s wrong.”

 “What do you mean?”

 Sparkplug had Darren follow him to a secluded area of the room, where he took out a holo-disk and brought up a hologram of a silver-gray Minicon with wings on his back and a pointed head.

 “Who’s that?” Darren asked.

 “My best friend, Overrun.” Sparkplug said quietly. “He was the representative of the Minicons on Cybertron. He was an advocate for Minicon rights during pre-war Cybertron. We were partners working to support the Minicons throughout the early stages of the war. Overrun was also D-Va’s conjux endura.”

 “Conjux Endura?”

 “It’s the cybertronian version of a spouse, sort of like a married couple in human terms.” Sparkplug explained. “Optimus and Ironhide have their own conjux off world, and Overrun was D-Va’s conjux before the war started.”

 Darren could already tell where this was going and knew from the wording Sparkplug used that Overrun probably wasn’t around anymore. “What…happened to Overrun?”

 “He was killed in a Minicon raid on his village. No one was expecting it. I don’t know the full details, but somehow the Decepticons had assaulted Solomus, Cybertron’s smallest moon, and leveled the settlements there without mercy. Only two Minicons survived the massacre: D-Va and Leader-1.”

 “Leader-1, the guy whose working for the Cons right now?”

 “I know. It’s strange that he’d do that when the Cons destroyed his home.” Sparkplug sighed. “D-Va might be feeling a little lonely. It happens sometimes for people who’ve lost loved ones. Arcee went through that phase and I’m sure plenty of Autobots have as well. We’re all feeling a bit out of juice with all the craziness going on.”

 Darren nodded. It was a taxing job trying to coordinate a ship’s worth of refuges while at the same time making sure the next Minicon they bring aboard isn’t some Decepticon plant. He had no idea how Sparkplug was able to do all that and not look as old as Ratchet.

 “Just give her some space. She’ll be back to normal in a few days.” Sparkplug concluded.

 “Okay.” Darren nodded, though, looking back at D-Va, he was sure that there was something more to this than just lover’s grief.

XXXXXX

 High Wire entered the little abode of Liftor and Roll Bar that was their designated workshop and stopped upon seeing an odd sight. Darren was standing in the middle of the room with a small crate on his back. That wouldn’t be so bad if the crate wasn’t twice the size of his body. The crate was one of the smaller containers on the ship, no bigger than Ironhide’s palm, but that was still big, and extremely heavy for even a thirteen year old telekinetic, even if it was empty. On the side, Gina stood close by with a stopwatch and Liftor and Roll Bar manning the crane that was designed to move the cubes.

 “What did I just come upon?” High Wire asked cautiously.

 “We’re doing some strength tests with Darren’s powers.” Roll Bar answered.

 “I can see that, at least.” High Wire said, glancing at the stopwatch Gina held. “But why?”

 “It’s to test the limits of his strength. After what happened in Egyptia, Gina’s trying to get Darren to manifest that armored form he created back in the tomb.” Liftor answered.

 “It was Gina’s idea.” Roll Bar said. “She wanted Darren to have something to fall back to in addition to the weapons she was making to use on missions. You know, if something were to happen to Centurion.”

 High Wire looked at Gina. “Is this true, Gina?”

 Not taking her eyes off the stopwatch, Gina replied, “Yes, High Wire, it’s true. Darren’s the strongest member of the team right now, and I’m still working on the blasters Roll Bar’s helping me make, along with some other stuff. I wanted to have something to fall back on if we lost Centurion back in Egyptia.”

 “We’re protecting you three the best we can. Isn’t that enough?” He asked her. It honestly felt insulting that she would think they weren’t enough to keep her and the others safe. And after everything they’ve been through as well.

 Gina sighed and blew her whistle, ending the test. A crane hand took the cube out of Darren’s hold and the boy fell to his knees exhausted. As the Minicons went over to give him some water and a towel, Gina looked over to High Wire with tired eyes.

 “High Wire, you, Sureshock and Grindor have kept us safe on multiple occasions, and no one’s arguing that. But let’s be realistic here; compared to you Minicons, we’re just dead weight. If Centurion gets taken out of the fight on a mission, all we have are homemade blasters and Darren’s powers to rely on. And after what happened last time, I’m not keen on letting Darren risk his life again pulling our asses out of the fire.”

 Darren had displayed a new level of his esper abilities that no one thought possible, and Gina wanted to capitalize on that. His armored form was strong, but it withered away after only ten minutes of use. Gina wanted to increase his endurance to lengthen the amount of time he could maintain it, though no one knew exactly what to do. Telekinetics were an odd sort in that they were only limited by their lack of imagination.

 Despite this, Gina was also working on making small energy weapons for her and the twins, as she didn’t want to be dead weight and force Darren to put himself in danger protecting herself and Annie. Blasters, energy shields, melee weapons, whatever went if it meant that everyone could stay safe and protected.

 “I’m sorry if you’re offended, High Wire, but it’s something that has to be done.” Gina said. “We won’t be able to rely on you guys all the time, what happened with Darren and Annie with OZ is proof of that.”

 High Wire couldn’t hide a wince at the mention of the OZ incident. Debbie being taken hostage to lure Darren and Annie to them was a sore spot for him. Despite what others said, he considered it a massive failure on his part as a guardian of the twins. On the other hand, at least Gina wasn’t doing this out of some belief that his team was useless. Though, he still didn’t feel right allowing the children laser weapons of all things, least of all Annie.

 Gina smiled and walked over to pat High Wire on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, but at least we’re taking some heat off you.” Gina said kindly. “Just know that I have everyone’s best interests at heart

 “I know.” High Wire nodded. “I trust you.”

 “Guys, guys!” Annie ran into the room, almost running over Jolt and the others. “We’ve got another biter!”

 “What?” Gina asked.

 “Another Minicon popped up.” Annie panted. She bent over and took a deep breath. “Give me a second, that was a long run.” She took a deep breath and continued. “You’ll…never guess where it’s located.”

 High Wire crossed his arms. “Where?”

XXXXXX

 “Teletran-1 has detected the next stasis panel in eastern Emmeria, in the republic of Estovakia.” Optimus said to his team. “The signal is faint, but we’ve tracked its signal to a small province called Transylvania.”

“Transylvania? Sweet, we get so see Dracula’s castle!” Annie cheered.

 “Annie, that’s all in the movies. Vlad Dracul was the lord of the neighboring province, not in Transylvania.” Gina said. Annie waved her off.

 “Let me bask in the awesomeness, Gina. This is a once in a lifetime chance.” She said. “Let’s get a move on!”

 “Optimus,” Prowl stepped up to Prime. “May I lead this mission? You and Jazz still need to recover from that encounter with the dragon.”

 “Recovery which you still need to undergo.” Ratchet pointed out from behind them.

 “You could’ve at least taken some pictures of the dragon.” Annie muttered. “That would’ve been cool.”

 When she heard that Optimus and Jazz fought a dragon, she was jumping off the walls in excitement-until she learned that neither of them had gotten any sort of photos or video images of the rare beast. Dragons were hard to find unless they were looking for you, and to see one in person, much less get a picture of one, was the chance of a lifetime.

 “Sorry, Annie. We were too busy trying not to get roasted by the giant lizard.” Jazz said.

 “You may lead the mission, Prowl.” Optimus said. “Though, I wish to know why you want to go. You rarely volunteer for missions up front.”

 Prowl glanced down at the Minicons with his usual calculating gaze. “I just feel that mobility and strategy are what’s needed on this mission. That’s all.”

XXXXXX

 Leader-1 sat on a rock watching Starscream lord his status over the Seekers to keep Blackout from superseding him with common sense. Between that moron and Grid acting like a glitch-ridden protoform, he was not having a good time. It was a slow, awful way to start off a mission, but he knew that things would get good soon. All he needed was for his little spy to do her part.

 _“Leader-1,”_ Well, speak of the devil. _“It’s me. The Autobots are mobilizing.”_

“About damn time.” Leader-1 muttered. “How many are coming.”

_“It’s a four-man team lead by Prowl. He has Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee on it.”_

“And the kids? Are they coming?” Leader-1 asked eagerly.

_“…Yes. They are coming along to search for the panel while the Autobots hold off any Cons. The Street Action Team and Tracer are providing protection and support.”_

“A combiner team and an outlier. Not bad, brats.” He hummed. “Looks like it’s time to move out. Grid!”

 Grid, who was chatting with Blackout’s partner, Cannon, gave Leader-1 an annoyed glance. “What?”

 “Lose that tone, idiot. Tell that moron you call a partner that the Autobots are coming! You two are with me.”

 “What are we going to do?” Cannon asked.

 “What do you think?” Leader-1 replied rudely. “We’re going to find and liberate our sleeping comrade.”

XXXXXX

 D-Va switched off her comm and sighed. The deed was done, and now all that was left was to wait. She ran a hand down her face and groaned. What was she doing? Never in her life had she felt any ounce of regret or hesitation the whole time she had played both friend and foe. So why hesitate now?

 D-Va knew that everything she had done, all the backstabbing, the killing, the lives she put in danger, would get her a first class seat on the flight to hell. She did it for the Minicons who were wrongfully killed right under Prime’s nose. She did it for Overrun. But…what would he think if he knew all the things she had done in the name of revenge?

 ‘Primus, I’m pathetic.’ She thought bitterly. ‘I talk a big game, but when slag hits the fan I wuss out. Why am I acting like this?’

 “D-Va?” She turned to see Darren walking up to her. “The Bots are moving out. You ready?”

 “Yeah, locked and loaded.” D-Va said, though she didn’t sound very convincing.

 “You don’t look ready.” He said. “You sure you’re going to be okay?”

 “Yes, Darren, I’m good.” She sighed. “I just…have a lot on my mind, okay?”

 Darren bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck. “It is…Overrun?”

 D-Va’s head turned sharply to him, her expression icier than a glacier. “How do you know that name?”

 “Sparkplug. He told me about him after I saw you staring at his image back at the Ark.” Darren said calmly, not wanting to chase her off. “I’m sorry. I was just curious, since you’ve been down lately.”

 D-Va made a mental note to give Sparkplug a good punch in the face. “If he’s told you about Overrun, then I assume he’s also mentioned how he died.”

 “Yeah…that too.”

 “Well don’t worry about me, Darren. Overrun’s been on my mind lately, and it’s got my mood down.” She told him. “I’m sure it’s something you’re familiar with.”

 Darren could tell D-Va was trying not to lash out at him, though her tone was less than welcoming at the moment. She was a lot like Annie in that sense, lashing out to avoid talking about difficult subjects. He didn’t know what it felt like to lose a spouse to war, but he did know the pain of losing someone you love.

 “D-Va, far be it for me to try to comfort you like I know what you went through, since I’ve never lost a lover or anything like that,” He began. “But I do know what it’s like losing someone close to you. I’m not going to pry into your business or anything, but just know that I’m here for you if you need someone to talk to…or something.”

 D-Va stared at him for a moment before smiling. “Thanks, Darren. I’ll keep that in mind. I know dwelling on the past isn’t healthy for me, but I just get a bit…weepy as you humans call it, when I’m left alone with my thoughts.”

 “I totally understand.” Darren smiled. He looked around and cleared his throat. “Um…Sparkplug told me that you and Leader-1 came from the same village. Were you two friends?”

 “In a sense. Back then, Leader-1 wasn’t such a piece of garbage like he is now.” She said and smiled wryly. “Be sure to keep that to yourself, would you? I’m sure the Autobots won’t be as understanding as you are about that.”

 “Your secret is safe with me.”

 “Thank you.” D-Va said honestly. Darren smiled back, but when she stared at him longer than he was comfortable with, he frowned.

 “Um, D-Va, what are you…?”

 “You remind me of him, a bit. Of Overrun, I mean.” She said. “He was always trying to help people even when he didn’t know what was wrong with them. It was something he was known for.”

 “Oh, t-thanks.” Darren said.

 “It’s also what got him killed in the end.” D-Va added coldly and stood up from her perch. “Don’t be like Overrun, Darren. You’ll live longer that way.”

XXXXXX

 The Autobots tracked the panel’s signal to a large castle built atop a high mountain that belonged to the lord of the province they were in. The castle was large and old, made of stone that was weathered and eroded in some areas and built in a gothic style architecture that was the basis for the literary character, Dracula. It was a fortress designed not only for defense, but also to instill fear and awe in all who looked upon it. This was the former castle of Vlad Dracul, one of history’s bloodiest warlords.

 “Huh,” Bulkhead grunted upon seeing the castle. “Someone’s compensating for something.”

 “No kidding.” Bumblebee said and looked at Prowl. “So, where do we go?”

 Prowl checked the scanner.  “The Minicon’s located somewhere down in the lower levels. And since we’re too big to get inside without causing significant damage, it falls to the children to explore the interior for us.”

 “We’re ready and waiting, Prowl.” Gina said.

 The now combined Centurion and D-Va led the kids into the castle grounds. Prowl looked to Tracer, who was sitting on his shoulder.

 “Tracer, go with them.” He said.

 “What? But I want to stay with you!” She pouted. “I can help you fight!”

 “I know, but you’re helping me more by making sure that the kids stay safe if they run into any Mini-Cons inside.” Prowl looked at his companions to see if they were far enough before whispering, “And I want you to keep an eye on Centurion and D-Va for me. Monitor them for anything that might be unusual. If you see something, no matter how small, contact me. Can I count on you to do that?”

 “Sure thing, Prowl!” Tracer chirped. She wasn’t sure why he wanted her to watch her friends, but if Prowl wanted her to do it, then it must be important. “You can count on me.”

 Prowl nodding, allowing himself to give her a small smile. He wasn’t comfortable with relying on a Minicon for help considering one of them was a spy, but Tracer was trustworthy enough. Optimus might think twice about spying on teammates, but considering what’s at stake, Prowl was willing to do what needed to be done. This was what he did, doing what more high status mechs like Optimus and Ultra Magnus didn’t have the steel to do in order to get the job done.

 “All right, Autobots,” Prowl said to his team. “While the Micron team is exploring the castle, we’re doing to search the perimeter. Arcee and Bulkhead will search the west and south sides. Bumblebee and myself will patrol the north and east sides. Stay sharp and give a call if you see anything. Roll out!”

 “Well, I certainly missed working with him.” Bulkhead grumbled. He really wasn’t a fan of Prowl’s rigid command style, or even Prowl himself. The “greater good” argument could only be used so many times before it comes back to bite you. Bulkhead shook his head and looked down at the kids. “You guys be careful, now. You here?”

 “Got it, Bulk.” Annie grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ll snag you one of Vlad’s torture devices as a souvenir.”

 “Torture devices?” Bulkhead blinked.

 D-Va looked away from the kids and Autobots to gaze up at the castle, taking a deep breath before following the humans into the courtyard.

 “You think the Cons detected the signal yet?” Tracer asked. Gina adjusted her glasses and looked up at the statue of a warrior on horseback with a spear jammed into his ribs.

 “Knowing our luck,” Gina said. “They’re probably already here.”

 Atop the tallest tower, inside the castle library, Leader-1 stood in the window looking down at his clueless enemies. This was going to be fun.

XXXXXX

 The Sky Spy drone led the Micron team deeper into the castle, where they came upon the massive throne room lined with armored suits and tapestries that were little more than strips of cloth at this point, worn from age. The throne didn’t even look like a throne, time had eroded the metal to the point where it might just be considered a royal stool.

 “Where to now?” Annie asked.

 Gina sent a command to the sky spy and it flew past them into a small alcove. It landed on the ground and jerked its bird-like head up and down. The kids took it as a sign that their destination was somewhere behind that wall, but when they took a closer look, they saw that nothing was there.

 “There’s nothing here.” Tracer huffed and glared down at the sky spy. “Stop wasting our time and show us where to really go!”

 “Maybe it just made a mistake.” Centurion said in his deep voice. Gina shook her head.

 “Sky spy is never wrong about anything. It’s never led us astray before.” Gina rubbed her chin as she looked at the alcove. “There’s something we’re missing here.”

 Darren narrowed his eyes and started running his hands along the wall. An idea popped into his head and he leaned in to press an ear to the stone.

 “Darren, what are you doing?” D-Va asked, but Darren shushed her.

 He tapped his knuckles against the wall and heard a light, hollow sound instead of a dull thud one would expect from tapping solid stone. “There it is. I think the wall is hollow.”

 “Hollow?” Tracer said. “Is that possible? I thought those were in movies.”

 “Actually, a lot of castles in the medieval period had secret routes for nobles to escape through if their castles were breached. Hidden passages and secret doors were rather common back in that time, and this was no different.” Gina said.

 “There’s our queue.” Annie said. “Centurion!”

 The gestalt walked forward and fired his wrist cannon at the wall. The ancient stone stood no chance against the laser bolt and was blasted apart in a cloud of dust. When the dust cleared, they saw a long staircase leading down to a second level of the castle.

 “Nice work, Darren.” D-Va praised, getting a smile from Darren.”

 “Come on,” Gina said and walked through the hole. “This mission’s not over for a longshot.”

XXXXXX

 “I’m not liking this.” Bulkhead said.

 “Not liking what?” Arcee asked.

 “The silence. We’ve been here for half an hour and there’s no sign of the Cons.” Bulkhead grumbled. “It’s got me antsy.”

 Arcee patted his arm. “All we can do is be on our guard, Bulk. With any luck, maybe we’ll get a break this time.”

 Her fate chose to reward her hopes with three missiles hitting the ground in front of them. In an instant, they drew their weapons and were alert, pointing their blasters at the sky. Blackout and Skywarp appeared above them, firing their long range artillery cannons at the Autobots. Arcee and Bulkhead returned fire, though the aerial assault forced them to take cover behind a wall to avoid getting shredded by the armor piercing bullets ripping apart the ground around them.

 “Some break.” Bulkhead growled as a missile hit near his shoulder. Seeing Skywarp teleport in front of them, he pointed his arm forward. “Arcee!”

 Arcee leapt forward and fired his gun at the Seeker, but she only got a couple of shots off before Blackout opened fire on her. “He’s trying to cover Skywarp! We can’t fight like this!”

 “Call Prowl. I’ll deal with these clowns.” Bulkhead primed his arm blaster and fired up at Blackout, scoring a few hits on the large Con’s fuselage. One of those shots hit Blackout’s nose and the blow stunned the Con for a moment, allowing Bulkhead to shoot his tail rotor.

 “Why is it always the tail?” Blackout growled as he spun in the air.

 As he descended to the ground, he performed a controlled descent towards Bulkhead. As he got closer to the ground, he transformed and slammed into Bulkhead, slamming him into the ground. Bulkhead kicked him off and threw a punch at him, but Blackout caught his fist and fired his auto-cannon in his face. Blinding the green Autobot, he grabbed Bulkhead’s arm and lifted him up with immense strength, throwing him two feet into the wall.

 Arcee wasn’t having much luck with Skywarp either. The Seeker was hounding Arcee through the forest as like an annoying insect as she tried to get herself enough time to call in reinforcements. She ducked behind a tree just as he appeared behind her and she fired three laser bolts clean through his left wing. Skywarp immediately switched forms and fired his arm cannons at her, forcing her to retreat. He teleported behind her again, but that only got him a heel digging into his jaw and slamming him into a tree.

 “You know better than to try that trick with me.” Arcee said.

 “And you know better than to fight a teleporter.” Skywarp retorted.

 He warped out of sight just as she shot at him again. This time, he reappeared above her, changing to jet mode and dropping cluster bombs on her. Arcee tried to avoid the bombs, but they exploded around her, one hitting her arm and another exploding close enough to send her crashing into a tree.

 “Scrap!” She hissed and called Prowl. “Prowl, where are you? We’ve got Cons over here!”

XXXXXX

 “We’re having some problems on this end too, Arcee.” Prowl said as he hid behind a rock with Bumblebee.

 Starscream and Thundercracker were assaulting the duo with their Vulcan cannons and missiles. They weren’t holding back as they pinned the Autobots down behind cover, which wouldn’t last long under the heavy fire it was taking.

 “Don’t let up, Thundercracker!” Starscream said. “Keep firing and don’t give them a chance to fight back!”

 “Copy that!” Thundercracker said, though he wasn’t very happy with this method of fighting. He was a fan of getting up close and massacring his enemies, but Starscream changed their plans when he Prowl was on the team. Starscream didn’t want to end up getting scrapped by some scheme cooked up by the Autobot strategist, so he figured that putting pressure on him would at least keep him occupied.

 “We have to move!” Bumblebee said. “Arcee and Bulkhead are in trouble!”

 “So are we!” Prowl said. He saw Thundercracker fly overhead and thought of a plan. “Bee, can you hit Thundercracker from this angle?”

 Bumblebee’s visual acuity was spot on, mainly due to his occupation as a scout. He could definitely hit fast moving objects and see across vast distances, though the situations may limit his capabilities. “I think I can, but only if he’s close enough.”

 “Leave that to me.” Prowl changed the ammo clip on his rifle and poked his head out. Seeing Thundercracker circle around to attack their rear, Prowl took aim and fired a couple of acidic pellets at him.

 The pellets exploded against Thundercracker’s armor and began eating away at his metal skin. The pain made Thundercracker lose focus and break away from the engagement, which allowed Bumblebee to fire a couple of shots into his afterburner. Starscream saw his partner wobble before crashing into the ground and dived at the Autobots, firing his guns nonstop.

 “Filthy Autobots!”

 “Bee, we need to move!” Prowl said.

 They jumped out of the trench they took cover in, but were blasted off their feet by two missiles fired by Starscream. Bumblebee landed on his back, smoke leaking off his form, but Prowl wasn’t so lucky, as his arm was badly scorched and nearly inoperable. Starscream changed to robot mode and was firing at Prowl, riddling him with armor piercing rounds that tore into Prowl with ease. Not slowing down one bit, Starscream increased his boosters and slammed into Prowl before he could react. Rock and dust exploded into the air as the Seeker crashed into Prowl, sending him deep enough into the ground to make a crater.

 Starscream climbed out of the crater, leaving behind an unconscious Prowl who was half buried in the dirt behind him. He looked around and saw Bumblebee getting to his feet.

 “That’s one down, and one more to go.” Starscream grinned viciously. “Now, I remember that I still have yet to pay you back for that stunt you pulled back in Francois.”

 “Feel free to come and get some. I guarantee you won’t get a shot off me.” Bumblebee said. He knew this was going to be a difficult fight, but he wasn’t backing down.

XXXXXX

 The little band of humans and Minicons entered the underground chamber, which was more gruesome than they had anticipated. The room was full of torture devices; death machine staples like guillotines, iron maidens, wooden horses and the like. Judging from the dried blood on some of them, they were definitely used a lot by the castle’s lord.

 “This place looks like the set of a horror movie.” Annie said.

 Tracer looked at a skeleton that was still sitting on a large iron spike that ran straight through its pelvis and right up its ribcage and collarbone. She grimaced as she visualized this gruesome scene back when the poor soul was alive.

 “This is horrific.” Centurion said. “How can humans do this to each other?”

 “Medieval times were rather bloody, since things like the rules of war didn’t exist back then. Warlords and emperors used very evil means to control their people and put fear into the hearts of enemies.” Gina explained. “Vlad Dracul was the worst of them. He loved torturing his enemies, and even some peasants who displeased them. the things he did to them were legendary, like impaling prisoners on spikes and watching them slowly die.”

 “This doesn’t look like a quick death.” D-Va noted.

 “It’s not supposed to be. You were lucky if the spike pierced a vital organ and killed you instantly, but usually it took hours for them to die. Vlad was so evil that the locals saw him as a demon. Lord knows he fought like one.”

 “And that was how Dracula was born.” Annie smirked. Darren rolled his eyes.

 “For the last time, Annie, Dracula doesn’t exi-“

 Everyone went silent when they heard loud explosion topside. The Minicons went on their guard as they heard more explosions go on above them.

 “Looks like the Cons really did decide to pay us a visit.” Darren said and looked to Gina. “Gina, where is that panel?”

 She looked down at the scanner and saw…nothing. There weren’t any alerts or readings, and sky spy didn’t detect anything either. The blonde frowned as she told the others about this.

 “What do you mean it’s gone?” Tracer asked.

 “That’s just it. I’m not getting any readings anymore. We were close to it, but now it’s just…vanished.”

 “So what the hell do we do now?” Annie growled. The Bots were up there fighting and here they were doing nothing!

 Darren scowled as he started losing his patience. What could they do now? Time wasn’t on their side and that became evident when they heard a louder explosion upstairs and saw smoke coming from the staircase.

 “I think Leader-1’s posse is here.” He said.

 Centurion looked down at the kids. “Stay here and look for the panel. We will go and fight them off.”

 Without waiting for confirmation from the children, Centurion ran back up the stairs towards the danger. Tracer gave the kids a sympathetic look and ran after him with D-Va.

 Upstairs, when the gestalt reached the top, he saw that there were multiple holes in the walls and floor, as if someone went on a shooting spree in the throne room. Aside from that, there was one more thing that was different now-Leader-1 sitting on the throne.

 “It’s about time you answered the call.” Leader-1 said, looking at the gestalt coolly. “I thought I was going to have to go down myself to get you. Thank Primus I didn’t have to resort to that.”

 Tracer appeared behind Leader-1, her guns pointed at his head. “Where’s the panel, Leader-1? We know you have it.”

 “Had it, Tracer. Past tense.” He said coyly. He wasn’t even concerned about being held at gunpoint. “I had it, but now it’s gone.”

 “So what happened to it?” Centurion growled.

 The grin could practically be heard in Leader-1’s voice. “Why don’t you ask the Con who was inside it?”

 A large golden ball descended from the ceiling like a bullet and slammed into Centurion, knocking him to the ground. It ricocheted off a wall and came back, slamming into his chest and knocking him into a suit of armor. Tracer, distracted by the surprise attack, was hit in the shoulder by a laser blast that knocked her off her feet. She warped away and reappeared before Leader-1, who was now flanked by Cannon in his tank mode.

 “Meet the new addition to our team-Cannonbolt.”

 The ball crashed into the ground in front of Tracer, but stayed in place. Now having a closer look at it, she saw that it had gold and black armor and surrounded by an energy field layering its smooth surface. It broke apart and the round panels reconfigured to reveal the robot mode underneath. The mech was large, almost as tall as Centurion, with a short head between hunched shoulders, slanted yellow eyes and a large bottom jaw.

 “That was fun!” Cannonbolt grunted, slamming his fists together. “Me do it again!”

 “In a moment, Cannonbolt, I need to do my monologue first.” Leader-1 said and walked up to Tracer and the wounded Centurion. “This is Cannonbolt. He’s a veteran gladiator from the Pits at Tarn-the city of warriors. He may be a bit thick in the head, but he’s durable enough to take anything you can throw at him.”

 “Don’t get too full of yourself. You haven’t won yet.” Tracer said bravely.

 “Actually I have. Now I’m just throwing it in your faces,” leader-1 replied. “Before I have you all dismantled.”

 “You and what army?” Centurion growled.

 “Oh not me.” Leader-1 pointed behind him. “Her.”

 Centurion screamed as something was stabbed into his back and his whole body was wracked with seizures before he split apart into his separate components. D-Va stood over the disorientated forms of the Street Action Team, her staff now a glowing spear crackling with energy.

 “D-Va?! What are you doing?” Tracer exclaimed. D-Va looked at her with cold eyes.

 “What I need to do.”

XXXXXX

 Bulkhead and Blackout grappled, trying to overpower each other. Though Blackout was larger, Bulkhead was stronger, and he was able to lift the Con over his head with a yell and throw him into the castle wall, sending him sailing into the courtyard. Blackout jumped to his feet and took out his tail rotor, spinning it rapidly and slashing at Bulkhead. The green Autobot stumbled back as he felt the rotating blades almost tear into his neck cables and slammed his wrecking ball into them, nearly breaking Blackout’s hand.

 Blackout reeled back, but Bulkhead rushed forward and slammed his ball into his face, knocking him to the ground. A kick to the face put Blackout’s lights out for good.

 “That was tougher than I thought.” Bulkhead said. “Arcee, how are things on your end?”

 He got his answer as Skywarp appeared before him in a burst of light, with Arcee having him in a chokehold.  Skywarp tried to throw her off, but she had a firm grip on him and was aiming to put some strain on his neck joints. He gagged as he felt the mesh around his neck start to groan from her grip and in a panic, he teleported as many times as possible within just a few minutes. Bulkhead tried to follow them, but he could barely track them at the speed they were going.

 Then he heard the sound of jet engines from above and looked up to see Starscream flying towards them with Bumblebee hanging onto his alt mode. The scout was holding tightly onto the Seeker’s wings and he wasn’t letting go anytime soon.

 “Get off me, you pest!” Starscream shouted.

 “Make me!” Bumblebee replied.

 Bulkhead saw them flying around haphazardly like Skyfire on a drunken Engex binge before Starscream circled in the air and dove straight towards the castle-more specifically the courtyard. The same courtyard Bulkhead was standing in. Seeing that Starscream was flying at speeds faster than Mach 2, Bulkhead knew the property damage was going to be horrific.

 “Why me?” He groaned.

XXXXXX

 Tracer was stuck in the middle of a spider’s web of enemies, being threatened by the femme she considered her best friend. The pink Minicon had her spear pointed at her, but she made no moves to attack.

 “D-Va please, don’t do this. whatever the Cons promised you, it isn’t worth betraying your friends.” Tracer pleaded. D-Va scowled.

 “I can’t betray a faction that I never had any faith in.” She replied. “I am loyal to only one side, and that is the Minicons. Or did you all forget that after spending so much time with those damn Autobots!”

 “Don’t do this, D-Va.” High Wire groaned. The forced separation hurt a lot and he could barely move his body. Sureshock was still trying to gather her wits and Grindor, who took the brunt of the blast as Centurion’s torso unit, was unconscious. “You have nothing to gain from working with Leader-1. He’s just going to use you and toss you away like trash.”

 “Shut up!” D-Va shouted and kicked him in the face. She was then hit in the head by a flying stone that shattered against her cranium.

 “High Wire!” Darren shouted as he charged into the room with three large rocks orbiting his body. Annie and Gina followed after him, the girls holding Gina’s homemade blasters.

 Cannon swerved his tank barrel and fired at Darren. The boy rolled aside to dodge the pulse blast and flicked his fingers. One of the orbiting stones dissolved into a hail of smaller rocks that shot at Cannon with the speed of a bullet, hitting him dead on and digging into his tank mode. Tracer used this moment to warp forward and fire her pistols at him, riddling his body with laser bolts. She appeared right above him and opened fire directly on top of his alt mode, shooting until her pistols were close to overheating. Then Darren stomped his foot and Cannon went sailing through a window, plummeting into the steep drop below.

 Leader-1 changed forms and fired his twin laser cannons, forcing Darren to raise manipulate the stone around him to form a shield that block the laser blasts. He waved his hand and threw the stones at Leader-1, who drove in reverse while still shooting at Darren. One rock caught his wheel and sent him spinning out of control, falling on his side. Darren slashed his hand and the floor under the Mini-Con jutted up and flung him into a stone pillar. With him taken out, Darren turned his attention to D-Va.

 “D-Va!” Darren roared as she charged at him with her spear. Seeing her run at him with her weapon, like he wasn’t even her friend anymore, caused something to snap in Darren’s mind. Scowling, he gave a roar as silver telekinetic energy burst from him and solidified around his body.

 D-Va charged at him, brandishing her spear. Darren scowled and without even trying, his black armor carapace to formed over his body before sprinting forward. He shot compact force blasts at her that were strong enough to shatter stone, but she dodged them with ease. He tried grabbing hold of her with his powers, but she moved too fast for him to properly focus on her, moving too fast for him to register.

 Just before she could reach him, Tracer warped in front of her and kicked her aside. She flipped back to her feet and threw her staff at Tracer just as she warped a few feet in front of her. The spear stabbed into Tracer’s shoulder and pinned her to the wall. Darren snagged her foot and forced his mind to pull her as hard as he could, throwing her into the throne. He fired a TK blast at her, but she jumped away as the throne was blown apart.

 Seeing Darren charging at her, D-Va braced herself and caught the punch he threw at her face. Her feet dug into the floor as she was pushed back by the force of his punch, but she landed a kick to his side that staggered him before punching him in the chin. He threw a punch at her face, but she ducked under his arm before pummeling his chest, punching off chunks of his armor before backhanding him across the face. Darren was staggered, and D-Va used this opening to shift her hand into her pulse cannon and fired a blast right into Darren’s chest. The blast tore into his carapace, shattering his already decaying armor and exposing him. Though unharmed, Darren had the wind knocked out of him as he stumbled back, his armor melting off him like smoke. Before he could recover, D-Va rushed forward and grabbed his arm, throwing him over her shoulder and slamming him into the floor. She stomped her foot onto his chest to keep him in place.

 “Darren!” Gina and Annie cried out. Gina pointed her blaster at D-Va, who glared at her.

 “Don’t even try it!” D-Va shouted and pointed her hand at Darren, which changed into a pulse cannon.

 Darren wasn’t scared of the weapon pointed at his face. His anger outweighed his fear at the moment. “Go ahead and do it. Show us your true colors!”

 “I didn’t choose to be this way, Darren.” She said.

 “We all have a choice.” Darren replied.

 Leader-1 slowly stood up, holding his aching back as he limped over to her. “D-Va, make this quick. We’re on a tight schedule.”

 “Shut it!” D-Va hissed and fired a warning shot at his feet to show that she wasn’t in the mood.

 “How could you?” Darren asked, getting her attention. “How could you betray the Autobots after everything they’ve done for you?”

 “Don’t act like the Autobots are heroes! You think they’re any different than the Decepticons? Let me give you a dose of reality. Those Autobots you cherish so strongly have treated us Minicons like dirt! We were second class citizens before and after this goddamn war started!” D-Va roared. “I’d gladly help the Cons wipe them out for all the suffering they put us through.”

 “The Cons wiped out your village, and you’re helping them? Where in your mind does that make any sense?” Darren said staring up at her. Then Leader-1 began to laugh. “What’s so funny?”

 “Who said it was the Decepticons that destroyed our village?” Leader-1 said.

 The entire room went quiet as the children realized the implications of that statement. Cannonbolt just looked confused. Darren looked up at D-Va and saw that the pink femme’s rage had tapered off into sadness.

 “It was after the Decepticons began raiding Cybertron’s moons for Minicons to capture. They mostly attacked Epistemus, Sparkplug’s home and the largest of the moons.” She said softly. “Optimus Prime sent a contingent of Autobots to guard our moon, Solomus, for when the Decepticons moved onto it.”

 “But the big-wig didn’t know that the squad leader was a mech who had prejudice against the Minicons-animosity left over from when Minicons were spies for the Senate in the pre-war days.” Leader-1 jumped in. “You can imagine that after weeks of tension between the races, things would hit a tipping point and blow over. The result…a mountain of corpses.”

XXXXXX

**Solomus, Cybertron**

_D-Va cursed as a proton missile blew up the house next to her and sent debris flying dangerously close to her. Tesarus Minor, her home, was in flames. Minicons were running for their lives while the member of the defense militia mobilized to combat the threat. Missiles rained down from the sky and demolished the area in a sea of flames and the sky was alight with explosions and the falling bodies of people she knew on a daily basis._

_“Solomus was under attack, and it wasn’t from Decepticons. It was the Autobots._

_“D-Va!” Leader-1, a member of Solomus’ defense team, ran up to her._

_“Leader-1, what the hell is going on?” She asked._

_“Autobots,” He said grimly. “They’ve invaded Solomus’ eastern hemisphere and are attacking the villages.”_

_“Autobots? No, they would never do that. They’re supposed to protect us!” D-Va exclaimed._

_“Well it’s true. And I think it’s only one unit, but they’re using heavy weapons to wipe out the villages in the eastern quadrant.” Leader-1 got a call on his comm. “I need to go. Find Overrun and evacuate while you still can.”_

_Leader-1 transformed and drove down the street. D-Va also transformed and she raced deeper into town trying to find Overrun. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and she didn’t think to use her local sensors to locate his signature nearby. Just as she turned a corner, she slammed into the heel of a Bulk. D-Va switched to robot mode and looked up at the mech._

_He was tall, standing around 18 feet tall with red and green armor and purple eyes. The Autobot symbol sat almost mockingly on his lower abdomen, clear as day as he fired his gun at Minicon flyers that were zipping around his head trying to bring him down._

_“Stupid little Scraplets!” Joyride growled. He swatted a Minicon out of the sky, sending the tiny mech crashing to the ground and stomping on him, horrifying D-Va. “I’ve had enough of you!”_

_Then he noticed D-Va, sitting on her knees frozen in fear. Joyride grinned viciously as he spotted her and stomped towards her like a predatory organic beast. Laser blasts and missiles fired at him by the airborne Minicons did little to deter him as he glared down at her._

_“Another one of you Minicons. Primus, it’s like you’re breeding, just like those organic fleshies Prime preaches about.” Joyride sneered. “I don’t know why he wants us to protect you little creeps. It’s slagheaps like you that got my buddy killed by the damn Senate!”_

_D-Va shook her head and tried to run, but Joyride blocked her escape with the barrel of his gun._

_“Don’t even think about it. I came here with a job to do and I intend to do it with as little problems as possible.” Joyride said. “So please die for me.”_

_A large beam hit the side of his head, burning a hole into his cranium and shattering one of his optic lens in the process. Joyride stumbled to the side in pain, and D-Va looked up to see a silver plane coming at her._

_“Overrun?”_

_Overrun transformed and landed next to her. “Are you alright?”_

_“Overrun!” D-Va hugged him tightly, scared out of her mind. “What’s going on? Why are the Autobots attacking us?”_

_“I don’t know, but this is not the place to be thinking about it. I have Leader-1 organizing an escape route out of the village near the town square.” Overrun said. “Go there and-“_

_“Look out!”_

_Overrun pushed D-Va out of the way just as Joyride’s large hand smacked him away. He crashed into a statue and hit the ground. Joyride fired his blaster and destroyed the building next to him, causing huge pieces of debris to fall on Overrun._

_“No!” D-Va ran to her lover and tried to dig him out. Overrun’s lower body was pinned beneath large pieces of metal beams and stone that pinned him in place._

_“It’s no use.” Overrun groaned, wedged beneath two heavy beams. “I can’t feel my legs. Run, while you still have a chance to escape.”_

_“NO! I’m not leaving you!” She cried._

_Joyride pointed his gun at the two Minicons, but two laser blasts hit him in the head again. “Slag! Where do you things keep coming from?”_

_Leader-1 arrived on the scene with two soldiers firing at Joyride. As his team drew the Autobot’s attention, he maneuvered his hovercraft over to his friends and ran over to him. He looked at the state Overrun was in and cursed. There was no way to get Overrun free in time, and he didn’t have the equipment for such heavy lifting._

_“Leader-1.” Overrun said. “Get D-Va out of here. Take her far from this place. The village is lost.”_

_“But what about you?” Leader-1 asked. Overrun gave him a sad smile._

_“It’s too late for me, Leader-1. Just get her someplace safe.”_

_Leader-1 looked into the eyes of the mech who did so much for the Minicons and nodded. He tried to take D-Va’s arm, but she shook him off._

_“No, I won’t leave him!”_

_“We have to go.” He urged her. He looked up and saw Joyride shooting his teammates down. “Now, D-Va!”_

_“No!” D-Va yelled. Overrun reached out and touched her face, turning her to him._

_“I don’t care what happens to me, D-Va. I can die in peace knowing that you’ve made it out alive.” Overrun said. “Remember, D-Va, I will always love you.”_

_D-Va stared at him with glistening eyes as Leader-1 grabbed her and hauled her onto the hovercraft. She struggled to get free as she was pulled away from Overrun._

_“No!” She screamed. “Overrun!”_

_She didn’t take her eyes away from him even as they boarded the hovercraft. She stared out the window as Joyride reached down and grabbed Overrun in his large hand. She watched as the Autobot glared down at the Minicon with a savage sneer on his face. She watched…as Joyride crushed Overrun’s body in his hand and threw his mangled body aside._

_“OVERRUN!”_

XXXXXX

 The throne room was silent once D-Va finished her story. Leader-1 was quiet for once as he remembered that horrific day vividly. Tracer had a look of disbelief on her face and the Street Action Team were stunned speechless. But none were as horrified as the children, who couldn’t believe that the Autobots did that.

 “An Autobot did all that?” High Wire whispered. “But…I thought the official report was that the Decepticons attacked the moon with inside help from Minicon agents.”

 “And who gave that story?” D-Va growled.

 “…Prowl.” Sureshock muttered.

 “Exactly. The massacre didn’t escape the attention of Autobot High Command, but it wasn’t handled by Optimus Prime or Ultra Magnus. No, it was Prowl who led the investigation and performed his own judgment on Joyride and his mechs. They weren’t punished with death or even imprisonment, they just shipped off to some remote planet, far from the war where they were never heard of again.” D-Va spat in pure anger. “They basically got off Scott free for the murder of innocent Minicons, all because Prowl wanted to save face for the Autobots and make the Cons look bad.” She glared down at Darren. “So you think the Cons are bad, do you? Well, know that the Autobots are no saints, especially not Prime. Someone like him has no room to talk about equality when he employs mechs like Prowl.”

 “N-No,” Tracer shook her head. “Prowl would never do that. He’s an Autobot. He may not be like Optimus, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have our best interests-“

 “PROWL IS A SCHEMER NO DIFFERENT FROM SHOCKWAVE! HE’S JUST A MECH WHO PUTS LOGIC OVER EMOTIONS LIKE SOME DAMN MACHINE!” D-Va roared. “He’s done things that will make you hate him for the rest of your natural life, things that Optimus has willingly turned a blind eye to in order to further the Autobot cause. They’ve hurt me in the worst way possible and I will do the same to them!”

 D-Va shoved her cannon in Darren’s face and charged up her weapon. Annie and Gina pointed their blasters at her while Leader-1 pointed his gun at them. “So you’re going to kill us just to get back at them?” He asked.

 “…Yes.” D-Va said. “They’ve become attached to you. They depend on you as much as you depend on them. I can’t physically hurt them, but emotional scars run far deeper than physical ones.”

 Darren looked up at her with an intense gaze that was hard to match given his vibrant green eyes. Not looking from her face, he said, “Before you shoot, I want to ask you something.”

 “What is it?”

 “Is this really what you want?” He asked. “Do you think that this will make up for all the pain you’ve gone through?”

 “No, but it will give me a sense of satisfaction.” She replied.

 “And when the feeling of victory fades, will you feel any different? Because I doubt that anything you do will bring Overrun back.” Darren said. D-Va shoved her cannon in his face, close enough that he could feel the heat from the barrel. “Did everything we’ve been through-all the laughter, games, stories, everything we’ve shared-really mean nothing to you?”

 Her arm began to shake, her expression one of anger and pain. If she were human, tears would be streaming from her eyes right now.

 “I know that you are angry-at the Autobots and the world for what happened. But all the killing in the world won’t bring back what you’ve lost.” He continued. “And when you do finally see Overrun, do you think he will accept what you’ve done in response to his death?”

 “Shut up!” She growled.

 “Do you think he will be happy after hearing about what you did in his name?” He yelled.

 “I SAID SHUT UP!”

 D-Va charged up her cannon and fired a blast that echoed throughout the room.

XXXXXX

 “Ow.” Prowl groaned as he climbed out of the crater Starscream left him in. A hand was held out to him and he looked up to see it belonged to Arcee.

 “Need a hand?” She smiled.

 “That and more.” Prowl said. He took her hand and she helped him to his feet. His body felt heavy and ached, sporting numerous wounds from Starscream dive-bombing him. “What’s our status?”

 “Blackout, Skywarp and Starscream are out of commission. Thundercracker’s probably still having his armor melting off.” Arcee said.

 “How’d you take out Skywarp.” Prowl asked.

 Arcee led him back into the castle courtyard, where Bulkhead and Bumblebee were resting. Starscream was unconscious on top of Skywarp, who looked like he got run over by Megatron’s alt mode.

 “He tried doing the same thing with Bumblebee to shake him off.” Arcee said.

 “But I tore off his wings and let him free fall towards Skywarp, who was nice enough to teleport right in front of us.” Bumblebee grinned. Bulkhead chuckled and punched his shoulder.

 “And almost got Arcee I slagged. You’re lucky you’re still in one piece considering Screamer was going at Mach 1.” Bulkhead said.

 “Hey, I’m still here aren’t I?” The scout said.

 “Indeed, Bumblebee, you did a good job.” Prowl smiled. He looked at the castle. “Has anyone heard from the kids?”

 The Autobots shook their heads and Arcee grew worried. “Maybe we should see if they’re okay.” Arcee suggested.

 “Don’t bother.”

 They looked to the castle entrance and saw the kids and their guardians walking out of the castle. High Wire and Sureshock were each helping a wounded Grindor and Tracer walk, while Gina and Annie were aiding Darren, who was bruised and walked with a limp. There was no sign of D-Va.

 “You guys look terrible. Are you okay?” bumblebee asked concerned. He grew worried when they stayed silent. “Kids? What’s wrong?”

 “Did you find the Minicon?” Prowl asked. They all glared up at him with a fierceness that caught him off guard.

 “We need to talk.” Darren said.

XXXXXX

 As it turns out, D-Va was not yet done demonizing the Autobots. When the retrieval team returned to the Ark, they were met with even more glares from the Minicons, who were on the verge of taking up arms against the Autobots. The kids would later learn that D-Va had made a pre-recorded message detailing the true events surrounding the Solomus Massacre and the Autobots’ involvement. It took a lot of wordplay from Jolt and Sparkplug to keep the Minicons from revolting against the Autobots, but it was clear that things were at a boiling point between the two races.

 Optimus, Prowl, Ironhide, Jazz and Sparkplug were sitting in Prime’s quarters discussing this sudden turn of events that threatened to ruin the Autobot/Minicon relationship for a long time. The kids and their partners had given them a rundown of what went on in the castle and the revelations were being felt by everyone.

 “I can’t believe it.” Ironhide said. “I knew Joyride was a piece of scrap, but I didn’t think that he would do something like this.”

 “I didn’t think an Autobot would do something so horrific either, but here we are.” Sparkplug said tensely. He looked up at Optimus. “Did you know, Prime?”

 “No, Sparkplug, I didn’t.” Optimus turned his hard gaze to Prowl. “Why did you hide this information from us, Prowl?”

 “I did it to maintain the Autobots’ credibility and reputation. This was early in the war and the populace was just beginning to respect us. If the truth of the massacre got out, then the trust we’ve gained from the people would’ve been lost and the Decepticons would have won the War for Cybertron before it even began.”

 “So you went behind our backs and judged them yourself? Don’t make me laugh!” Ironhide growled. “You had no authority, Prowl. You should’ve informed your superiors and-“

 “Have the truth leak out and ruin us? Get real, Ironhide, I’m not proud of what I had to do, but I did it to keep our army afloat. Joyride and anyone associated with him are serving out a life sentence on a distant world with no way off and that’s where they’ll remain.” Prowl said. “It’s a fitting punishment for their crimes.”

 “But you still kept it a secret. You even had the gall to cover up the damn massacre!” Sparkplug had finally lost his temper and was glaring up at Prowl. “You’re no better than the Senate with actions like those!”

 “Don’t you dare compare them to me!” Prowl growled in a rare show of anger. “What I’ve done is no different from you hiding the secrets of combiner technology. Secrets you stole from the Autobots!”

 “Settle down, Prowl.” Jazz said, shoving Prowl back into his seat.

 “I did what I had to do in order to protect my people from slavery and death. And if that meant creating weapons to fight any Bulk, Autobot or Decepticon, then so be it.” Sparkplug said. “And it seems my fears were correct if people like you have high positions in Autobot high command!”

 “Enough of this!” Optimus yelled, his voice making everyone quiet down. “What happened in the past cannot be changed, and arguing about it will not help anyone.” He sighed and looked at his folded hands. “The reality is that D-Va’s status as a Decepticon spy, her defection and this cover up has put major strain on our relations with the Minicons and things will be harder in the long run.”

 “And we have only one mech to thank for that.” Ironhide said, glaring at Prowl. The tactician remained silent, though he hardly seemed bothered by the fallout his actions caused.

 Things had changed on the Ark, and it wasn’t good for anybody. As usual when it came to the Autobots, they took one step forward and two steps back.

XXXXXX

 D-Va sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Emmerian countryside. She looked nothing like the pretty and confidant femme she was before this day. Now she looked tired and haggard, even her pink armor looked a shade duller. Her eyes stared into nothing as she gazed out into the distance.

 She didn’t take the shot. Her memories were fuzzy from the overcharge she was experiencing, but she recalled swinging her cannon arm around to shoot Leader-1 in the chest, nearly blasting straight through his torso before she spun around and shot the slow moving Cannonbolt in the face. D-Va stared down at Darren, who looked back at her in surprise, before retrieving her spear and driving out of the castle in her alt mode.

 Why didn’t she shoot? She wanted to hurt the Autobots so badly, to make them pay in the worst way possible for the injustice they dealt to her people. Yes, she wanted to hurt the Autobots-but not the children. They helped the Minicons multiple times, even though they had no obligation to do so. Three children who went above and beyond to show them their world, to help them…protect them.

_“Do you think he will be happy after learning what you did in his name?”_

No, Overrun would be utterly appalled at what she had done since leaving Cybertron. He hated violence, and the things she had done to her fellow Minicons would horrify him. But even though she spared the children, she just couldn’t forgive the Autobots for the silence and neglect they showed in regards to the genocide.

 She needed to be alone. For how long, she didn’t know, but she just needed some time to herself. D-Va looked up at the moon praying that other Minicons would be safe. High Wire, Grindor, Sureshock Roadstorm…Tracer. She wished them and the children a happy future and that they survived this hellish war plaguing this world.

 Having given contemplated her next move long enough, D-Va jumped off the cliff and transformed, driving off into the darkness below. What happened to her now…only Primus knew.

 


	24. The Original Sin part 1

Chapter 23-The Original Sin part 1

 Optimus Prime sat alone in the solitude of his quarters, having finally had a rare moment to himself, with no Minicon or Decepticon activity to worry about. Here, away from the eyes of his soldiers and good friends, he was able to shed his usual strong leader persona and relax a bit. The stress of his role as leader of the Autobots and his status as Prime caught up with him again and he looked much older than he really was. The amount of responsibilities piled together would be enough to make even the youngest cybertronian turn gray with stress. Optimus wondered if the Matrix was the only reason he didn’t look as worn out as Kup.

 His quarters were larger than the other rooms on the Ark, but compared to the other Autobots’ rooms, he didn’t really have much in the way of personal effects. There was a recharge slab, a Teletran-1 terminal computer, and a desk. Soft classical music played from the terminal, something he had taken to listening to in his spare time. Old classical orchestra music really helped him wind down, especially Mozart, whom he frequently listened to.

 His desk was mostly empty save for a few holo-images, one of them being a recent photo of Darren, Annie and Gina making silly faces with him on his shoulders. They all looked so happy back then. Things were so painfully different now.

 The atmosphere on the Ark was stone cold after D-Va’s defection and act of rebellion in revealing the horrible truth behind the Solomus Massacre. This turn of events had caused a schism between the Autobots and Minicons, fanning the flames of distrust between the two factions. Prowl’s involvement in the cover up didn’t help matters either. Even the Street Action Team looked at them with disdains, some even questioning Prime’s command over his own troops. Optimus was glad that Sparkplug had managed to calm the Minicons down before things erupted into a war on the massive ship.

 The children went out of their way to dissuade any violent actions against the Autobots, knowing that some bots like Jolt and Peppercat had made friends among Team Prime. Despite having their squeaky clean image of the Autobots tarnished by this revelation, they knew that at least most of the team wasn’t responsible for the atrocities committed in the past. Darren won the Minicons over with a few wise words of his own that quelled their fury for the moment.

_“I know you’re all angry from this news and you want someone to blame. We all know it was wrong of Prowl to do what he did, and I understand your anger at him, but please don’t group all the Autobots together. Optimus and the others had nothing to do with this lie, and we’ve all seen how far they’ll go to make sure that each and every one of you will be safe from the Cons.”_ Darren said. _“I’m not saying that you should get over it, because I know that’s not going to happen, but we can’t lost faith in them right now. At the very least, trust us to trust the Autobots to keep everyone safe. If we lost our trust in each other, then we’re no different from the Decepticons.”_

The Minicons still trusted the kids, if nothing else than because they were in the same danger of being used as pawns in this war as they were. Tensions eased somewhat, but many of the Minicons, even Sparkplug, were giving the Autobots a wide berth. It was going to take a while to regain their trust, if ever.

_“Optimus.”_ A voice rang from the intercom.

 “Yes, Longarm?”

_“Ratchet needs you down in the medibay. He says it’s urgent.”_

Optimus straightened up, knowing that if the medic says it’s urgent, then it must be very important. He just wished it hadn’t cut into is rest period. “Tell Ratchet I’ll be right there.”

XXXXXX

 Ratchet gave an interested hum as he looked into his proton microscope at the sample he was studying. His lab table was littered with a mess of yellow crystals and pieces of stone. Longarm stood next to his arm glaring down at the mess he made. He was definitely going to have to clean that up.

 “Ratchet,” Optimus said as he entered the room. “You wanted to see me?”

 “Yes, Optimus, over here.” Ratchet beckoned Optimus over to his work station, leaning back in his seat and rubbing his tired eyes. Prime looked at the mess on the table

 “How long have you been at this?” He asked.

 “Little over two hours. And before you chastise me on overworking myself, know that what I’ve learned is…troubling to say the least.” Ratchet said.

 Optimus waved his hand. “By all means.”

 “This mess assaulting my work table is the remains of the beings that Bulkhead and Ironhide fought in Belka.”

 “This?” Optimus said incredulously.

 “Ratchet had the two retrieve as much of the beings they fought from the temple in Belka, which wasn’t a lot.” Longarm said. He kicked at a crystal by his foot. “This was all we found in the temple. The rest of the remains were dust.”

 “Which didn’t help me identify these samples, though I was able to form something of a decent study on the crystals.” Ratchet grumbled.

 “What did you learn from them?”

 “To start off, these beings are not just some form of incredibly powerful golem created by the Arian Empire. These are living organisms.”

 Ratchet pressed a button on his computer and brought up an image of what looked like cells, but they were crystalline in appearance. “See these silicon particles? They’re actually a genetic cell structure, but they’re hard and prismatic. What’s more, these cells were supercharged by some form of energy binding them together, which I can only assume gave the creatures their powers as well as enabled their strong durability and strength.”

 “Silicon…not many creatures in the galaxy can boast that kind of rare divergence from organic properties.” Optimus commented.

 “At least creatures that are intelligent. I know of similar beings who lived in a hive network on a distant planet I went to with Brainstorm once, but they were more akin to living plants that truly earthen beings.” Ratchet said.

 Optimus recalled how the beings who called themselves Michael, Uriel and Raphael were extremely hard to kill and were very powerful. Annie had said that the strikes she dealt to them with Mjolnir was more of dumb luck than power on her part. Then a thought passed his mind-what if there were more?

 He told Ratchet his concerns and the medic shrugged. “I can’t say for sure, Optimus. But these are silicon-based beings living on a planet harboring carbon-based life, so it’s not a stretch to say they were not native to Terra. We don’t have enough information to say that there are more. Personally, knowing out luck, I think we might see more of them in the future.”

 “I hope we can answer that question before something happens, Ratchet.” Optimus said. “If there are more of these…living statues, and they possibly ad dealings with ancient humans, then they might have had a deeper involvement with human myths and legends.”

 Ratchet gave him a look. “Like Mjolnir.”

 “Yes.”

 Ratchet frowned as he thought of the implications. If these beings had the power to create weapons that toed the line between science and mysticism, then they were more powerful than they could scarcely imagine. The three beings found in Belka could have been the first of many who were still on Terra, hiding and waiting. And Optimus feared that the constant fighting between the cybertronian forces on this world would force them to awaken once again.

 Michael’s last words hinted at others of his kind hunting down and annihilating all aliens on this world. Optimus wanted to write it off, but experience told him that this kind of thing was hard to ignore…and was usually true.

 This planet really hated them, didn’t it?

XXXXXX

 “I’m bored!” The loud, whiny exclamation came from Annie, who was sprawled across the couch in a less than lady-like pose in her short black skirt. She didn’t care about that, though. She was sharing a room with her brother, best girl friend and a bunch of robots who could less if she streaked through the ship butt naked (she filed that away on her mental to-do list).

 “Annie, please don’t be a brat right now.” Darren said. “We’re not in the mood.”

 “Well excuse me for speaking my mind.” Annie frowned. “There’s just nothing to do and I’m getting tired of wasting my free time in the Ark doing nothing.”

 “If you want to do something, Annie, go find Bulkhead or Ironhide.” Sureshock said patiently. “You’re not helping anyone by sitting around complaining.”

 “Yes, please shut up, Annie.”  Grindor said. Annie picked up a hammer and threw it at his head. “Ow!”

 “Say that again, asshole!” She growled.

 Gina shook her head and continued working on her project. So much for peace and quiet. “I need to start working at my workshop again. I can’t handle these two all day long.”

 Darren walked over to her work table and glanced at the small objects she was working on. They looked like bracelets, but they were clearly high tech. “What are you working on?”

  “Tractor beam gauntlets.” Gina said.

 “Oh…that’s cool.” Darren nodded. Gina glanced at him with a raised eyebrow and he grinned. “Just waiting for your highly detailed explanation on how it works.”

 “Well, since you asked so nicely,” Gina smirked. “They fire neutron particle nets that have a neutralized nuclear reaction force that’s basically a nullified narrow gravity well. When photons are bounced into the well, the gravity nullification is disturbed and each object touched by the net is attracted or repelled, depending on the polarity, at the same strength as the nearest gravity well pulling on its own mass.”

 “It uses the reaction caused between neutrons and photons to repel or attract physical objects using the same force gravity has on that object, right?” Darren said.

 “That’s…right.” Gina blinked. “I wasn’t expecting you to get that, actually.”

 “We’re having a class on it right now, Gina. The science behind it isn’t as hard as you think it is.” Darren said. “But why are you making a tractor beam gauntlet?”

 “It’s a part of my trademarked “Gina Tech Pack”. Something I can use on our missions to keep us from getting fragged by the Mini-Cons.” Gina said, tracing a finger along the silver gauntlet. “After you knocked yourself out saving me, I figured I could do more than just be the nerdy girl on missions who couldn’t defend herself.”

 “Gina…” Darren tried to refute her claim, but she held up a hand.

 “No, you could’ve gotten hurt and I can’t live with myself if something like that did happen. Besides, we all can use something to help out Centurion when we get attacked. We can’t rely on him and the others forever.” She said and slipped the gauntlet onto her forearm. “Now, Roll Bar helped me miniaturize the power source for this thing, but I haven’t tested it yet. Could you stand still for a minute?”

 “Stand still-no, Gina, don’t-“

 “Tractor beam engage!” Gina announced.

 The gauntlet on her arm glowed a bit before Darren felt himself being flung back nearly a foot away from Gina. He hit the floor on his back, the breath knocked from him. As for Gina, she also went sprawling when the excess kinetic energy from the strong push knocked her off her feet.

 “Gina, Darren!” Annie and the Minicons ran over to their friends. “Are you two all right?”

 “Wow…” Darren coughed and sat up. “That was a doozy.”

 “Sorry, Darren!” Gina whined. “Jinkies, looks like I need to lower the power a little bit.”

 “You think?” Annie snorted.

 “Yo!” Jolt hollered as he walked into the room. “What’s up, glitches! I come with a news update!”

 “What, you finally got a life?” Grindor quipped.

  “No, you ass.” Jolt glared at him. “I’m head towards the shuttle bay to meet up with Bee and the others. Optimus is leading a mission to Emmeria. Don’t ask me why, but it must be big with the size of the team Prime has standing by.”

 “Seriously? What are we waiting for, then, let go!” Annie sprinted for the door, dragging Jolt along with her.

 “Annie wait…and she’s gone.” Darren sighed. “You’re lucky you don’t have a sibling, Gina. Sometimes, they’re more trouble than it’s worth.”

 “Think of it this way, at least you don’t share twin telepathy with her.” Gina said, patting him on the back. “Come on, let’s catch her before she gets herself hurt. Sureshock, could you clean up for me, please?”

 “Okay, Gina.” Sureshock nodded as the kids ran out into the hall.

 At the ground bridge, Optimus stood before his team of five: Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Ironhide and Sparkplug. Arcee was manning the ground bridge controls.

 “Teletran-1 just detected a strong energy signature in Airlann, one that’s similar to the one Jazz and I picked up in Sunehra.” Optimus briefed his team. “We must mobilize before the Decepticons get to the site before us. I have no doubt that they’ve already picked up on the signal as well.”

 “As long as we don’t have to fight any dragons, I’m game.” Bulkhead said eagerly.

 “Hold up!” Annie up to them with Jolt in tow. She skidded to a stop in front of Bulkhead, nearly sending Jolt to the ground.

 “Jeez, Annie, you nearly pulled my arm from its joint.” Jolt said. Bumblebee knelt down to pick his partner up.

 “Don’t even think about it, Annie. This mission is not for little girls like you to be running around in.” Bulkhead warned her. “The Cons are gonna be coming at us hardcore and a firefight between us and them is not a safe place to be.”

 “Don’t do this to me, Bulk.” Annie whined. “It’s depressing around here and I can’t take the angst anymore!”

 “Sorry, Annie, but this is one hot zone you’re not getting near anytime soon. You’d only get in the way.” He said, earning a glare from her.

 “Did you forget I saved your ass once with a magic hammer?” She asked, hands on her hips like a scolding mother. “I can help!”

 “Annie, you’re not coming with us, and that’s final.” Optimus said firmly. “Time is of the essence, Autobots. Transform and roll out!”

 The Autobots transformed to vehicle mode and drove into the now open ground bridge, leaving behind a very angry Annie near the gateway. Then a wide smile spit her face and she glanced at Arcee who was still monitoring the ground bridge readings at the terminal. Seeing an opening, Annie ran for the portal, sprinting into the green vortex just as Gina and Darren entered the room.

 “Annie!” Gina exclaimed.

 “For crying out loud!” Darren groaned.

 They chased after Annie, but she had a head start on them. She was already gone when they reached the archway and they were forced to run in after her. The two kids made it in just as Arcee shut the bridge down, not having heard them over the noise of the bridge’s deactivation.

XXXXXX

 The Autobots exited the ground bridge into the middle of a grassy plain, a common sight in Airlann, though the giant stone structure a few feet from their position was new. It was a collection of stones, four in all, situated in the four cardinal directions. The stones were long and curved inward, their pointed tips almost touching at the center of the circle formation.

 “What is that?” Bumblebee asked.

 “You’re asking me? I don’t have a clue about human architecture, let alone thousand year old doohickeys like that.” Bulkhead said.

 Wheeljack pointed his scanner at the structure and got a positive reading. “The energy reading is coming from there.”

 Jazz clapped his hands. “Well, let’s get going before-“

 “Incoming!” Ironhide yelled.

 He pushed Wheeljack out of the way of six missiles that hit the ground near them. Optimus looked up and saw Nightshade swooping down in beast mode to attack. He fired his ion cannon at her, but she dodged and changed to robot mode mid-flight, using her momentum to kick Optimus in the chest. He rolled onto his back and shot at her, just missing her wing. Ironhide rushed in and fired his arm cannons at her, making her back off.

 “Optimus!” Bumblebee went to help his leader, but a police car rammed into him and knocked him over. As the car swerved for another go, he rolled to his feet and took out his blaster.

 “Pay attention to your own battles, scout!” Barricade growled.

 Bulkhead and Ironhide were engaged with Lugnut, who was unleashing a rain of fire with his missiles payload released from the pods on his back. Wheeljack used his overshield to protect them from the bulk of the missiles while Bulkhead fired his blaster at Lugnut. Laser bolts bounced off his thick armor as he stomped toward the Autobots, raising his mace that was almost as tall as him.

 “For Megatron!” He bellowed and charged at the Autobots like a raging bull. Bulkhead met his charge with his wrecking ball and clashed with the ebony giant.

 This was the chaotic battle Annie ran into the middle of. The entire field was a mess of explosions, blaster fire and metal hitting metal. She was careful to stay out of sight and far enough from the battle that no one, especially the Cons, could notice her.

 “This is perfect.” Annie whispered. She looked at the odd structure not too far from the battle. “I wonder what that thing is.”

 “ANNIE!”

 She heard her brother’s enraged shout and grunted when he slammed into her, sending them both to the grass covered ground. Darren grabbed her arms and glared down at her, using his weight to pin her down when she tried to struggle.

 “What the hell were you thinking?” He hissed at her, displaying an anger he rarely directed at her. “You can’t just go into a warzone like that! It’s dangerous!”

 “So is finding Minicons, but we still do that, don’t we?” Annie replied.

 “Don’t pull that shit with me. We’re going back to the Ark right now, and I’m having Roll Bar cuff you to the damn couch!” Darren said.

 “Uh, Darren,” Gina tapped his shoulder, pointing at the empty space behind them. “The ground bridge is gone.”

 “What?!” Darren looked up and saw that it was true. “And we didn’t bring our phones with us! Crap, what else could go wrong?”

 Annie gulped. “Well…there’s also Nightshade giving us the stink eye.”

 They looked at the aforementioned femme and saw her glaring right at them with her dark purple eyes. Nightshade powerlinked with Songbird and aimed her rail gun at them.

 “I’m killing you if we die, Annie!” Darren shouted.

 Before Nightshade could fire, Optimus charged at her and kicked her arm aside, diverting her beam. As the beam hit the ground next to them, he grabbed her arm and threw her across the field into Barricade, nearly crushing the smaller mech.

_“Optimus, this is Arcee. The kids aren’t in the Ark!”_ Arcee reported.

 “I have a visual, Arcee.” Optimus replied, glaring at the children.

 Annie looked up at Optimus and said with a straight face. “It totally wasn’t my fault.”

 “You have some nerve!” Darren exclaimed.

 “That’s enough from both of you.” Prime said firmly, using a tone he rarely took with the kids. “Hide over by the structure and wait for someone to escort you back to the Ark. Don’t move unless told you, understand?”

 The children nodded and ran for the stone formation. Optimus had Arcee send the Street Action Team to their position before ducking under a plasma blast from Nightshade.

 “Why am I not surprised you have fleshies doing your dirty work, Prime.” Nightshade sneered at him.

 “I don’t rely solely on them, Nightshade, though I’, not one to immediately dismiss anyone because of their composition.” Optimus said.

 “You’ll forgive me for focusing on fighting a war than a bunch of animals!” Nightshade said and charged at Prime.

XXXXXX

 Annie watched the battle from the safety of the pillars. Darren was keeping an eye out for any unwanted visitors that might spring up on them, and Gina was doing…what she did best, really.

 “This is your fault, Annie,” Darren said. “If anything happens to us, I’m holding you responsible.”

 “Go blow a gasket, bro. I was only trying to get some decent snapshots for the scrapbook.” Annie said. She wasn’t concerned at all that Optimus might give her a serious tongue lashing afterwards. “I mean, we never get to see the real action since we’re too busy getting stasis panels, and-“

 She screamed when a stray blaster bolt hit the ground near them, sending grass and dirt into her face. Darren raised a telekinetic shield to deflect any other debris from hitting them.

 “That’s why. We’ll only get in the way if we run around a battle zone throwing rocks at the Cons. And I’m not looking forward to telling sis how you died trying to get some pictures.” Darren said.

 “You make it sound like I’m willing to jump in front of a gun for a good picture!” Annie yelled. Darren grabbed her shirt and pulled her close.

 “You would!”

 Gina stood apart from the twins, intently studying the symbols inscribed on the pillars. She had the sky spy drone in hand to record the runes in the stone as she tried to read them. Something was oddly familiar about these symbols, she was pretty sure she had seen something like them before. The blonde was so into her work that she barely noticed the ground bridge appear next the site.

 Centurion stepped out of the portal and ran over to the kids. “Get to the bridge, now!”

 Darren over to Gina to take her hand and pulled her along. “Come on, girl, our ride’s here.”

 “Hold on, I need to get the rest of this!” Gina said.

 “We don’t have time-“

 “Look out!” Annie shouted.

 She and Darren jumped back to the safety of the pillars as Lugnut’s rain of missiles exploded around them. Darren summoned his barrier again, but his defense trembled under the force of the powerful explosions. Seeing that the kids were pinned, Centurion ran for them, dodging the laser blasts and missiles flying everywhere. He didn’t care that he was running headfirst into a hot zone, all that mattered was keeping the kids safe.

 Barricade, who was grappling with Bumblebee, saw the gestalt running across the field and smirked. He kicked Bumblebee away and pointed his blaster at Centurion.

 “No!” Bumblebee powerlinked with Jolt and converted his arm into his solar accelerator.

 He fired a blast into Barricade’s chest, but not before Barricade got his shot off. The laser blast hit near Centurion, engulfing the gestalt in flames. The kids watched in horror as their friend was sent flying by the explosion and crashed into the center of the rock formation. The gestalt separated into the Street Action Team as the pain of their wounds shattered their focus.

 “High Wire!” Darren ran over to his friend and the girls went to their guardians as well.

 Then they noticed something strange happening. The minute the Minicons entered the circle, it began to glow. Gina gave a soft “jinkies” as she saw the runes on the pillars glow along the length of the stone. Darren felt the air around them change, as if being charged with electricity and tried to bring up a force barrier…only to find that his powers weren’t working.

 “What’s going on?” He yelled over the crackling energy. Energy lanced between the pillars, forming an energy field around them.

 “I don’t know!” Annie yelled back. “Just hold on to the Minicons and pray!”

 Bulkhead was the first to notice what was going on. After slugging Lugnut in the jaw, he turned to see the kids and their guardians trapped in a vortex of spiraling energy that grew in intensity by the second. Without a second thought, he broke off his engagement and ran to save them.

 “Bulkhead, wait!” Wheeljack exclaimed.

 The dome exploded outward, releasing an energy wave that blasted Bulkhead off is feet and knocked the other bots away as well by the sheer force of the shockwave. Optimus looked up and lost sight of the kids in the middle of the violent storm as the energy charging between the pillars reached their peak capacity. Everyone present saw a pillar of light shoot up from the formation, parting the clouds and bathing the immediate area in a bright blue light that lasted only a few seconds. After those few seconds, the beam of light vanished as if it was never there…as were the children.

 “What in Mortilus’ name just happened?” Nightshade demanded, as surprised and confused as the others present.

 “No.” Optimus muttered. The kids and the Minicons were gone…and he had no idea where they went.

XXXXXX

 “And that’s what happened.” Nightshade finished her report to Megatron as they stood on the bridge discussing the events from earlier. “There was no sign of the humans or the Minicons. They were just…gone. As if they were-“

 “Vaporized?” Megatron suggested. She shook her head.

 “No. The blast wave the stone circle released would’ve at least damaged us more than a few burns if it was harmful. And I didn’t detect any radiation. It looked like some primitive form of warping technology.”

 Megatron narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin. This was definitely something worth investigating further. “Are the Autobots still at the site?”

 “They high tailed it out of there after losing their human pets, but I think they might return.” Nightshade replied.

 “Gather a team and return to the site. I want to know exactly what that thing-“

 “Lord Megatron!” Thundercracker burst through the doors with a look of panic. Megatron and Nightshade glared at him.

 “Have you lost your senses, Thundercracker?” Nightshade hissed. “What possessed you to barge in here and interrupt important business?”

 “I-It’s Soundwave, Nightshade,” Thundercracker stammered. “Something’s wrong with him?”

 “What?” Nightshade froze as her eyes went wide. “What’s happened?”

 “I don’t know. He just collapsed in the middle of the haul and we had to haul him to the medibay.”

 Nightshade was already out the door before anyone could move. Megatron and Thundercracker followed her, though she was already halfway to the medical bay thanks for her long legs. When she reached the medibay, she heard pained screams coming from it, and from the mechanical tone of those screams, it was clear they belonged to Soundwave. Nightshade glanced back at Megatron before walking through the doors to enter the room.

 Inside, Soundwave was strapped to a medical slab with steel restraints on his hands and feet, writhing in place from some sort of pain. A strange sound rang from his vocoder, and Nightshade realized it was his screams. Soundwave, the stoic, emotionless spymaster, was screaming. His flailing was probably too violent to allow him freedom of movement without hurting himself, so he was restrained. At least that better be Knockout’s reasoning.

 “What’s going on here, Knockout?” Megatron asked.

 “That’s what I’m trying to figure out, my lord.” Knockout gulped. “Thundercracker told me that Soundwave just collapsed out of nowhere just a few minutes ago and he’s been writhing in pain since then.”

 Nightshade looked Soundwave over. “I don’t see any visible wounds.”

 “I don’t think his pain is caused by anything physical.” Knockout said. He pointed to the monitor showing a scan of Soundwave’s brain activity. “His brain activity is fluctuating wildly, so I presume whatever he’s experiencing must be mental.”

 Neither Megatron nor Nightshade knew what to do about this. Soundwave’s senses were turned up to the maximum, and his telepathy was a result of his hearing being so acute he could pick up and translate the electrical signals in a person’s mind. He initially had no control over this power, leading him to suffer hearing the stray thoughts of others he unconsciously picked up. Years of training had mitigated these side effects, but this was different from what Nightshade knew Soundwave had been through.

 “I’ve never seen him like this.” Ravage said, confirming her thoughts. “His powers had never caused him pain like this before. It’s never gotten so bad that he’s writhing in agony.”

 “Is there anything we can do? Can you find out what’s causing him pain?” She asked.

 “If you have any suggestions, be my guest. I’m a doctor, not a psychiatrist.” Knockout said. Ignoring Nightshade’s glare, he continued, “The best explanation I can give, and it’s theoretical, is that some outside force it causing this reaction. Something powerful enough to override his mental defenses and enter his mind. It must be painful if he’s in this state.”

 Megatron looked down at the struggling Soundwave, silently noting how the only emotion that the spymaster ever gave was intense pain. He wasn’t there when Soundwave was aimlessly roaming Cybertron, nearly insane from all the thoughts that he absorbed. The power to read minds, even at a limited range, was a power that many coveted, but Soundwave did his best to suppress. He never understood why at first, but seeing him in this state right now helped him realize how it could be a liability.

 “Put him in stasis.” Megatron ordered.

 Knockout nodded and pressed a button on the slab, which made it release a low frequency EMP wave that shut down Soundwave’s motor functions and put him in stasis lock. Soundwave calmed down and his body went still, allowing Nightshade to sigh in relief.

“Monitor him for any more abnormalities and notify me if his condition changes.” Megatron said.

 “Yes, my lord.”

 “Nightshade, with me.”

 Megatron left the medibay with Nightshade and they walked back to the bridge in silence for a moment. Nightshade noted her leader’s ponderous expression and knew he was deep in thought.

 “What’s on your mind? You look like you’ve got some questions.” She pointed out.

 “The humans being teleported by some ancient warp device and Soundwave’s seizure…they’re timed too closely together to be anything more than some coincidence.” Megatron told her.

 “You want me to check it out?” Nightshade asked. He gave her a look.

 “That would be nice, yes.” He replied, earning a glare from her. “There is something going on here that we’re not seeing, and I intend to find out what.”

XXXXXX

 Darren felt cold. Cold as in his whole body had a chill that ran right down to his bones, as if he spent an entire day standing in the rain without a coat. As he regained consciousness, he grunted and moved his stiff limbs, opening his sore eyes to see a slightly dirty Gina leaning over him.

 “You’re okay.” Gina breathed, sagging in relief. “Thank Gaia, I thought you were hurt or something. You were out for a while.”

 “A while?” Darren rasped and coughed. He slowly sat up, hissing as his head throbbed painfully. “What about the others?”

 “The Street Action Team are still in one piece, at least, but they’re pretty beat up. Annie and I aren’t hurt, though.” Gina said. “You’re the last one to wake up.”

 Darren stood up with Gina help (noticing how cold she felt) and looked around. They were in the middle of a stone structure that was almost the same as the one in Airlann, though the pillars looked shorter and lacked the runes the other one had. They were in the middle of a cave, but the walls looked too smooth and polished to be natural.

 The Minicons were lying on the wall outside the formation. Darren was relieved to see that they were not seriously hurt, but their injuries were still bad. They had severe burns all over their bodies, and parts of their armor were warped from the intense heat of the explosion that almost got them. Annie was sitting a little ways off from them, not facing anybody.

 Darren scowled and stood up, shaking Gina off as she tried to stop him. “Darren, don’t…”

 He ignored the throbbing headache he had as he marched toward his sister and stood over her. “What the hell were you thinking?” He yelled at her. She looked at him but didn’t reply. “That stunt you pulled could’ve gotten us all killed!”

 “Excuse me for not knowing that we were going to get teleported halfway around the world.” Annie said. Though her words were biting, they lacked their usual snarkiness.

 “Don’t get snippy with me. Centurion was almost killed trying to save us. All because you wanted to get your daily fix of adrenaline!”

 “What the fuck do you want me to say? I’m sorry, okay? What else do you want me to do?” Annie yelled at him.

 “I want you to start acting like you have some damn sense.” Darren hissed. “This isn’t a game, this is war. When are you going to remember that?”

 “Darren, Annie, please stop.” High Wire grunted. He winced as he felt his scorched joints grind painfully together in his movements. “This isn’t the time to be fighting. We need to work together.”

 “Yeah, kid, lay off the poor girl.” Grindor said weakly. “She’s learned her lesson. No need to go ham on her.”

 The twins glared at each other before Darren looked away with a huff. Gina joined them as they planned their next move.

 “How are you guys feeling.” Gina asked the Minicons.

 “We’re alright…mostly.” High Wire answered softly. “The flames did more damage than the explosion itself. We’re a little burnt, but nothing our self repair systems can’t handle. We should be good in about 30 minutes or so.”

 “We don’t have 30 minutes. We need to find out where we are and find a way back to the Autobots pronto.” Annie said. “Bulkhead’s probably worried sick about me.”

 “Him and everyone else.” Gina said. She looked around at the cave and had an idea. “Let’s get out of here and go see where we are.”

 “Not without us.” Sureshock said. Of the three Minicons, she was the least damaged, but Gina kept her from moving.

 “I’m sorry, Sureshock, but you three need to stay here and rest up. We won’t go too far.”

 “Even still, what if you run into trouble? None of you have any weapons aside from Darren’s powers.” Sureshock said, hoping they would at least reconsider going by themselves.

 “We’re good, High Wire. I may not have any weapons, but I still have this.” Gina held up her wrist, which still had the tractor beam gauntlet.

 “The freaky bracelet that almost gave you and Darren a concussion?” Annie crossed her arms, not looking that impressed. “Sure, add two of you to the care list and leave me alone in this hellhole.”

 “Well it’s all we got, Annie, unless you have any better ideas.” Darren said, glaring at his sister. She said nothing, and he nodded. “Okay, then. First thing on our list is to see where we are. Then we can contact the Autobots.”

 “Darren…” High Wire groaned.  

 “You aren’t really in any position to stop us, High Wire. We need to at least know where that portal thing took us.” Darren said and patted High Wire’s unwounded shoulder. “We’ll be careful, I promise.”

 High Wire sighed and nodded. “Just stay close to each other and watch your backs. Your sister will have our Sparks if anything happened to you three.”

 The children nodded and walked into the tunnel leading into the cave. Darren gave the Minicons one last look before following the girls out.

 The tunnel was large, about three times the size of Centurion. It led upwards, heading straight to the surface at an angle where the kids had to almost crawl up to keep going. After around five minutes, they saw sunlight shining through the opening at the other end. Annie quickened her pace and reached the entrance first.

 “Annie, what do you see?” Darren asked. When he heard her gasp, he grew concerned. “What’s wrong?”

 “Dude,” Annie breathed. “You’ve got to see this.”

 Darren and Gina hurried towards the entrance, and stood up next to Annie. When their eyes adjusted to the bright light, they were similarly shocked by what they saw.

 “Jinkies.” Gina gasped.

 “We are definitely in a place we are not supposed to be.” Darren said despondently.

XXXXXX

 Optimus and Ironhide made their way through the large halls of the Ark at a brisk pace. After withdrawing from the battleground, Optimus made his way to the command center with his security officer in tow. He already called Ratchet to locate the kids and the Street Action Team with Teletran-1. He hoped they were someplace safe, or at least still alive.

 “This is a fine mess we’re in.” Ironhide grumbled.

 “Your opinion is noted, Ironhide. Now help me find a way to get the children and Minicons back. Every moment we waste places them in potentially more danger.” Optimus said. He sounded more agitated than normal, but one couldn’t blame him given the circumstances.

 They entered the Command Center, where the rest of the team were assembled. Ratchet was at the computer diligently working with Teletran-1 to pinpoint the kids’ locations via their guardians’ biosignatures, with Prowl looming over his shoulder.

 “Have you found anything, Ratchet?” Optimus asked.

 “Nothing, Optimus! I can’t detect any signals from the sky spy or the Minicons!” Ratchet growled frustrated. “It’s like they just vanished off the face of Terra!”

 “You better hope that’s not the case.” Skyfire muttered.

 “Work harder, Ratchet. Who knows where they are now? We don’t have time to be half-assing this.” Bulkhead said. Ratchet glared at him.

 “Don’t you think I know that?” Ratchet spat. “Go make yourself useful and search for them outside. Vent off some of that frustration that always seems to be nagging you. It’ll give us all some peace of mind.”

 “I’ll vent my frustration all right!” Bulkhead stomped towards the medic, but Skyfire held him back.

 “Chill out, big guy. This isn’t the time for a brawl.” She said.

 “She’s right. We don’t have time for this.” Prowl said and looked at the others. “Does anyone know how to call them?”

 “I have Darren’s phone signal on me. I can call him using that.” Arcee said. Placing two fingers to the side of her head, she linked her comm to Darren’s phone. She heard the cell ringing, but it sounded louder than usual.

 “I think you guys might need another plan of action.” Tracer said as she held up Darren’s ringing cell phone.

 “Looks like we’re out of luck.” Skyfire sighed as she crossed her arms. “Oh well, I’ll go arrange the funeral.”

 “Shut up, Skyfire.” Arcee huffed. So much for that idea.

 “Ratchet, can you at least tell if they’re still alive?” Jazz requested. Ratchet did so without a word and when he was done, his mood improved somewhat.

 “Yes! The Minicons’ life signals are still online!” He said, garnering sighs of relief from the team.

 “If the Street Action Team is still alive, then that means the kids must be alright as well.” Arcee said.

 “Yeah, but that doesn’t answer where they are or if they’re not in any danger.” Ironhide said. There were still so many questions and not enough answers, let alone any leads to follow.

 Optimus rubbed his chin in thought. “Skyfire.”

 Skyfire perked up. “Yeah?”

 “How high can you fly?”

 “Well, I’m not one to brag or anything , but on a full fuel tank I can reach the atmosphere in no time.” She said proudly. “What do you want me to do, big red?”

 “I want you to run some recon. We’ll get nowhere searching here from the ground and we can’t move the Ark without gaining attention from the Decepticons.” Optimus said. “You have the best chance out of all of us in finding at least some signs of where the children are from orbit.”

 “Say no more, Prime. I’ll do it.” Skyfire saluted and headed out the room.

 Optimus addressed the rest of his team. “Wheeljack, Ratchet, you’re with me. We’re going to investigate what that structure is and how it works. The rest of you will remain on standby until I give the order to move out.”

 “But Prime…” Bulkhead went silent when Optimus gave him a look.

 “Anyone mobilizing without my authorization will be spending the rest of the day in the brig.” Prime said firmly. “This is a critical moment and we can’t lose our focus or restraint. Doing so will invite chaos not only on ourselves but on our friends as well. Is that clear?”

 “”Yes, sir.”” The Autobots said.

 “Prowl, you have command.” Optimus told his tactician and left the room with Wheeljack and Ratchet.

 Bulkhead clenched his large hands, feeling helpless and out of control. Arcee put a hand on his shoulder.

 “Bulkhead, calm down. Now’s not the time to lose our cool.” She said to him. “Annie’s fine. She’s in good hands, and so are the others.”

 “I know, it’s just…” Bulkhead shrugged helplessly. “There are worse things than the Cons out there, you know? And the Minicons can only do so much to protect them from what I’ve seen out there. Thinking about the danger they’re in gets me steamed.”

 “Well stressing yourself out about what you can’t do isn’t going to achieve anything save overheating yourself.” Prowl said from the terminal. “We’ll find a lead to go on, but until then, I suggest you all recharge and stand ready in case Prime needs us. Ironhide and I can handle things here.”

 Arcee nodded and left the room with Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Jazz. Ironhide stood by the terminal watching Prowl work with Teletran-1.

 “You don’t seem all that worried for the kids.” Ironhide pointed out.

 “That’s because I’m not. Despite my personal views on their involvement, I’d be a fool not to acknowledge the childrens’ resourcefulness in handling dire situations.” Prowl said calmly. He exhaled and looked at the older red mech. “But Bulkhead is right. There are more dangerous powers out there than the Decepticons, and I hope they don’t run into them like you and Bulkhead did.”

 Ironhide grunted and crossed his arms. “As great it would be if that were true, we both know with our luck, something like that might happen anyway. Let’s just hope that High Wire’s team can keep those brats safe.”

 Prowl had very little faith in that statement, but he wisely kept his thoughts to himself.

XXXXXX

 Soundwave laid on the recharge slab, his body still unconsciously twitching in pain-filled spasms as his body remained in induced stasis lock. Though he was no longer screaming, his mind was still filled with an agonizing rush of images and flashes that came at him with unearthly intensity. It was a feeling little different from the uncontrollable flood of thoughts from a thousand minds at once, that endless limbo he spent much of his life suffering from. Soundwave thought that once he had control of his powers again, he’d never experience that hell ever again. He was wrong.

 But this was different. it wasn’t his own powers going out of control, rather an outside force was assaulting his mind. Something big…something powerful. He could feel it breaking through his mental defenses, tearing away his mental walls in order to get information on him and his people. He couldn’t allow sensitive information to be stolen like that so easily.

 Seizing his body, Soundwave fought back against the invading presence, strengthening his mind and pushing back against it. He remembered what Ravage told him about focus, thinking on one thing and blocking out all other distractions. He forced his mind to resist and slowly push this invading presence out of his psyche. That was when he felt whatever was attacking him speak.

**“You are not like the others.”** A deep voice rumbled. Just hearing it in his mind made Soundwave’s body tremble. **“You actually harbor some will to stand against me. Curious, but futile. I am a god, and I will take what I want. Who are you to deny me my rights?”**

Soundwave’s body seized up again as his mind was assaulted again, this time by a flurry of images. As the invader gleaned information from his min, he was doing the same, though he could barely get anything more than that. They depicted a beautiful world of floating mountains and an aurora filled sky. Another image showed that same world dead and lifeless, its colorful sky gone and the planet itself a shattered husk.

**“Who are you aliens to seek to wage war on our world? You think that you can take what is yours without the consequences? Arrogance! Blasphemy! The time of alignment is coming, and when it comes, judgment will be set upon you!”** The voice said. It wasn’t just a threat, it was a promise. **“This world is ours, and neither man nor alien can take it from us! We are coming!”**

The resulting mental backlash was so violent that Soundwave was knocked from stasis. His arms and legs jerked free from their restraints and he fell to the floor. Startled, Knockout ran up to him and helped him to his feet.

 “Soundwave, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be resting!” Knockout exclaimed.

 Soundwave took a moment to gather his senses and looked up at Knockout. “Take me…to Megatron.”

 “Whatever it is you want to tell him, it can wait until-urk!” Knockout gagged as Soundwave grabbed him by the throat and pulled him in close.

 “Call…Megatron…” Soundwave growled.

 “S-Sure, anything you say buddy.” Knockout said nervously. To think that some people thought being a doctor wasn’t a dangerous job.

XXXXXX

 Wheeljack ran his scanner along the pillars of the stone formation in Airlann, humming a little tune as he did so. While he was working, Optimus and Ratchet stood nearby, discussing the events from earlier.

 “And you noticed it didn’t activate until Centurion crashed into it?” Ratchet repeated Prime’s words as he rubbed his chin.

 “Yes, it activated and generated some kind of energy field that teleported the children and Minicons somewhere else.” optimus said.

 Ratchet glanced over the pillars and studied the markings with a critical eye. He was no expert on alien history and such like the Autobot Valkyrie Glyph, but he spent enough time with Gina to know what these symbols were.

 “These are Arian markings.” He said. “In fact, it must be their language.”

 “Their language?”

 “Yes. This structure must have been built by the Arians, just like nearly everything else on this planet.” The medic explained. “And if that’s the case, then it’s possible that this isn’t some shrine or burial mound but is instead some form of ancient technology. Wheeljack, have you found anything?”

 “I’m detecting huge traces of energy in and around the circle, but I can’t identify it.” Wheeljack said, scratching his head. “It’s weird. I’m definitely getting something, but my scanners aren’t really picking up on just what this is.”

 “That’s typical.” Ratchet huffed.

 “The most I can tell you is that this energy is ambient. It’s still in the atmosphere around us, just coalesced to this point by the pillars.”

 Optimus tried not to get frustrated. None of this was getting them any closer to finding their missing friends. However, this information is a little interesting. He filed it for later and told Wheeljack to keep investigating.

 Sparkplug noticed that Optimus seemed to be running on a short fuse since the kids were taken. He thought it was just the stress of the situation getting to him, but looking at Prime’s expression, it seemed like something more.

 “Optimus, are you feeling alright?” He asked.

 “I’m fine, Sparkplug.” Optimus sighed. He felt as if he aged a century in a single day. “I’m just feeling a bit stressed. It’s nothing to worry about.”

 Sparkplug didn’t look convinced, but decided to let it go. Optimus turned away from his Minicon partner and looked up at the sky.  Advanced technology was at work here, technology that worked in very odd ways. It was becoming clear these Arians were more advanced than he originally though, and this was evidence enough, but they still had no idea where the kids had gone. He just hoped they were safe wherever they were, because it felt like this world was getting more and more hostile the longer they spent on it.

 Prime lightly touched his chest plate, where the Matrix of Leadership rested under his Spark core. The ancient relic that had been lost since Nova Prime’s disappearance was inactive most of the time unless he called upon its power in times of dire need, but today it was burning like a piece of metal left in the furnace for too long. The Matrix seemed to favor using pain to alert Optimus that something big was coming. At times it would slightly sting, and other times it would feel as if he was being incinerated from the inside out, but today it was getting worse.

 Optimus knew this was some kind of omen, a prelude to something that was much bigger than himself, Megatron or any other cybertronian on this world. He had a feeling that it had something to do with those stone creatures that seemed to lord over this world in ancient times. This wasn’t just a message, it was the start of a battle to the death.

XXXXXX

 When the kids exited the cave, they entered what could only be described as a natural paradise. It was a bright and beautiful forest that surrounded an oasis, with streams of crystal clear water running through the trees. Birds could be heard chirping in the trees and colorful insects hovered near flowers. The air was crisp and clean, the weather warm and pleasant, with sunlight warm and inviting. One thing of note, however, was that aside from birds and insects, there weren’t any other animals around, forget about looking for any other humans.

 “Where are we?” Darren asked.

 “No idea, but this place is pretty bitchin’ considering we’re in the middle of Fall.” Annie said. “Man, it feels like spring around here.”

 “I can’t tell where we are at all. This place…it’s hard to get my bearings.” Gina said. “There are tons of places in the world that has forests.”

 “But have you seen anything this beautiful.” Annie took a deep breath of fresh air and started walking into the forest. “Come on; let’s see some more of this place. I think it actually might be kinda cool.”

 Gina sighed and followed Annie into the brush, leaving Darren behind. He looked up at the sky, seeing what he thought were clouds, but were really large clouds of mist. Something about everything, from the trees to the mist clouds to the sky itself, seemed artificial. Even the flora here felt fake. It wasn’t a good feeling for him and he remained on guard for any surprises.

 The girls were busy looking at everything they could find. Annie, who was never one for flowers or pretty things in general, couldn’t help but look at the wildly colorful plants in the small glade they were in. Gina, however, was looking at things from a more analytical standpoint.

 “Some of these flowers are from other parts of the world. I recognize this one,” She pointed at a white lotus flower. “It’s from Xing. And this one,” She pointed to a tall stalk of reeds sticking up from a pond. “Is from Egyptia. What are they all doing in one place?”

 “That’s another for another time. Right now, we need to call the Bots and tell them we’re alright.” Darren said.

 “Wherever here is.” Annie muttered.

 Darren reached into his pocket but stopped himself. “I forgot, we left our phones back at the Ark.”

 “And I only have my sky spy.” Gina said. “Wait, doesn’t Annie have hers?”

 “I think she does. Annie, do you…” Darren looked around and saw no sign of his sister. “Annie?”

 Annie had broke apart from her friends to explore the forest more. There was something about this place that felt strange, though it was hard to describe. Maybe there was something in the air. Whatever the case, she felt strangely at peace here, like she could stay here forever. Away from the noise and problems of the outside world. Then she came upon another oddity.

 “Whoa,” Annie breathed. She now found herself at the forest’s edge, where a large gate stood in front of an old and worn out temple made of stone. Its design was reminiscent of a Sunehran temple, but different in aesthetic.

 Bordering the gates of the temple were two statues. Unlike the temple, they were made of metal, each with blue and red armor laced with gold along the lengths of their bodies. The statues had the shape of a canine, but their heads were shaped like huge cones and lacked eyes, noses and even mouths. Tiny golden wings extended from their spines and their tails looked like barbed whips. Walking closer to them, Annie saw signs on the stools the statues sat on, written in a strange language. Though Annie couldn’t read it, the blue armored statue’s name was “Fearless” and the red armored one’s name was “Fairness”.

 “This place just keeps getting stranger and stranger.” Annie remarked and approached the gate. She grabbed the rust gate and shook it hard, trying to get it open. “Come on, don’t be like that. Open sesame!”

 As Annie continued to struggle with the gate, she didn’t notice that the noise she was making had attracted the wrong kind of attention. The statues, once lifeless and still, actually began to move. Fearless was the first to slowly move for the first time in thousands of years, its joints creaking and groaning from years of disuse. Annie didn’t notice the statues moving until Fearless lashed out with its barbed tail, hitting her arm with its sharp spines ad leaving a long gash from her shoulder to her elbow.

 “Shit!” Annie jumped back alarmed, spinning around as the statues jumped off their pedestals and stalked towards her. She backed away, clutching her bleeding arm. “G-Get back! I know kung fu you stupid-“

 Fearless cut her off with a loud, metallic roar and lunged at her. Annie jumped to the side and barely dodged a swipe of Fairness’s claws. She fell to the ground and hissed as her arm stung. Seeing both lion-dogs circling her, Annie did the only thing she could think of in this situation.

 “HELP!”

 Darren and Gina heard the scream that shattered the serenity of the forest and ran towards it without a second’s hesitation. Annie continued to make as much noise as possible to make it easier for them to find her, and they emerged from the trees just in time to see her being attacked by two strange creatures.

 “Leave her alone!” Darren ran forward, telekinetically tearing up two large stones from the ground and throwing them at the beasts. A wave of his hand shattered the stones into a dozen sharp pieces that stabbed into their armor. Gina ran forward and activated her tractor beam gauntlet, repelling Fairness and sending the beast crashing through the gates.

 “Annie!” Darren ran over to his twin and looked her over. He winced at the bleeding cut on her left arm. “Are you alright?”

 “I’m fine. It’s nothing Ratchet can’t fix.” Annie smirked, though she wasn’t feeling very good at the moment. She just made another blunder was might actually get them killed this time.

 Gina yelped as she repelled a charging Fearless, but was flanked by Fairness. Darren reached out and psychically grabbed her shirt to pull her back from the snapping jaws of the monster into his arms. He pushed Gina behind him as he shot a force blast at Fearless’s leg, shattering its limb like fractured stone and sent it tumbling onto its side. Even still, it dragged itself towards them, and Fairness was also trying to flank them.

 “It was nice knowing you guys.” Gina whimpered. “You two were the best friends a nerd like me could ask for.”

 “Don’t write your will, just yet, Gina. We’re not dead yet,” Darren said. “And I don’t plan dying anytime soon.”

 “Think you can back that up with more than just words?” Annie asked.

 Darren clenched his fists and levitated two large pieces of rock around him. “Watch me.”

 Fearless and Fairless chose that moment to attack, and Darren prepared himself to fight them to the bitter end. He had survived almost getting blown away by Megatron, being hunted by Flamewar-twice- and almost getting his head shot off by D-Va. He was not going to die at the hands of these monsters!

 Just as he prepared to summon his ebony armor, something very unexpected happened. A large sword fell from the sky and impaled Fearless straight through the torso. Darren jumped back in surprise and Fearless struggled a bit before going limp. The sword pulled itself out of the body and separated into three tiny, human-sized aircraft that flew into the air. The kids immediately recognized them as cybertronian alt modes, each resembling terran aircraft; a sonic cruiser jet plane, a supersonic transport jet plane, and a cybertronian shuttle.

 The sonic cruiser flew in low and fired automated guns into Fairness’s side. The jet plane and shuttle performed a fancy aerial formation and fired two missiles each at the beast. They kids jumped back as Fairness exploded in a burst of flames and metal. The three aircraft flew above them before lowering to the ground and changing to robot mode.

 They were all Minicons-the mech in front was a mostly gray mech with orange red powerlines running along his arms and a matching visor and faceplate. The mech who was a jet plane was slightly taller than the first mech, with a larger silver body with blue on the chest and wings on his back, sporting a faceplate that was just a clear orange. The mech who changed into a shuttle was the least armored of the trio, sporting the same silver color scheme as his companions and had sharp angular fins on his shoulders, with a red faceplate and orange visor.

 “You alright there, squishies?” The mech with the cruiser alt mode asked. “Mighty dangerous of you to go roaming around these parts. Those baddies like to prowl around ruins like these to guard them from intruders. Don’t they boys?”

 “Yup.” The jet plane nodded.

 “Totally.” The shuttle agreed.

 “It’s good luck we heard you screaming when we did or you would’ve been mince meat-or whatever those things eat.”

 “I don’t think they eat, Runway.” The shuttle said.

 “Really? Damn, looks like I gotta fix the captain’s log again.” The mech named Runway said.

 “Excuse me,” Darren chose this moment to cut their rambling short. “Thanks for saving us. I don’t think I could’ve handled them both at once like that.”

 “Anything to help a wayward traveler.” Runway said. “Name’s Runway, and this is my team…”

 “Jetstorm.” The jet plane nodded to them.

 “Sonar.” Said the shuttle.

 “…And we’re the Air Defense Team!” Runway said cheerfully. “We’re from a distant planet you’ve probably never heard-“

 “Cybertron.” Gina said.

  Runway stared at her before clearing his throat. “Okay, well, um, we’re a race of robotic organisms from Cybertron called-“

 “Minicons.” Annie said.

 Runway grumbled and continued. “A-Aren’t you people wondering what we’re doing here so far from-“

 “Your ship crashed and split in half thousands of years ago. The whole crew was placed in stasis panels and scattered across the planet before the ship crashed. You guys crashed here and have been stuck in this forest since awakening from your stasis panels.” Darren said.

 “Okay, you guys are the worst.” Runway sighed.

 Darren chuckled. “I’m Darren and this is my sister Annie and my friend Gina. We’re humans, the natives of this planet we call Terra and we’ve been helping the Autobots find the scattered Minicons all over the world for the past few months.” He explained. “Now that we got the obligatory introductions out of the way, can you please tell us where we are? We were teleported  here by mistake and our friends are really hurt.”

 “We can’t tell you where we are, but we can tell you what this place is.” Jetstorm said.

 “Brigadoon.” Sonar said.

 “Briga-what?” Annie blinked.

 “Brigadoon,” Sonar repeated. “It’s the name we gave this island.”

 “Island? You mean this place is an island?” Gina questioned. That was strange, since this place seemed too large to be an island. Not to mention the lack of moisture in the air that would suggest being near any body of water.

 “Yeah, welcome to Brigadoon, the floating island!” Runway said proudly. Seeing the growing looks of horror on the kids faces, he asked, “What’s with the faces?”

 “Oh we are so fucked.” Annie groaned.

 For once, Darren agreed with her statement. Things were only getting worse by the minute.

XXXXXX

 “I hate this planet.” Flamewar growled. “I hate this planet with the fury of a thousand stars.”

 “You’re not the only one, Flamewar, not stop whining and do your job.” Nightshade said.

 The two femmes were traveling towards the location Soundwave described from his dreams. Megatron was a bit skeptical at going on little more than dreams, but if there was something that could inflict such mental pain on Soundwave (in a manner all too reminiscent of the three Witches he killed on Lemnos), then it might not be such a waste of time after all. Megatron sent Nightshade and Flamewar to scout out the area. Both femmes were highly trained in field operations and recon in various environments, but that didn’t mean they liked being near each other.

 “So we’re traveling through the coldest place on this god forsaken planet on the whims of a madmech who sounds like someone took a leak in his vocoder?” Flamewar snorted. “My abilities are too useful to be wasted on this farce.”

 “Shut your mouth!” Nightshade hissed. “Keep in mind you are still on probation for deserting the Decepticon army, so I’d watch my words if I were you. There are a lot of Cons out there who want a piece of you, among them Razorclaw. Do you want me to hand you over to him?”

 “…No.” Flamewar grumbled. That was not something she was looking forward to. If Razorclaw ever got a hold of her, death would be a mercy compared to the torture he would inflict upon her.

 Nightshade shook her head as she watched Flamewar drive across the frozen tundra in her alt mode. Flying through the icy covered mountains that surrounded them, they continued on their route when Nightshade got a call from Songbird.

 “ _Mistress,”_ The targetmaster’s voice sounded breathless as she gave her report. _“I think I have found something that proves Soundwave’s claims.”_

“How bad is it?” Nightshade asked, knowing it was probably something she didn’t want to see.

_“I think you should see for yourself, mistress.”_

‘That bad, then.’ Nightshade thought. She increased her speed, leaving Flamewar behind as she reached the cliff of the mountain they were on. She switched to robot mode and landed on the snow covered ground. When she walked to the edge, her eyes fell wide open as she saw what made Songbird so breathless.

 “By the Allspark.” She gasped.

 There was a massive cloud that slowly drifted through the mountain pass, far too low for a cloud of that size to be traveling. But this was no cloud. Nightshade could see inside it and spotted a massive island floating in mid-air, held aloft by some invisible force that defied the laws of gravity. Nightshade could only gap at the strange sight as Flamewar drove up next to her and changed to robot mode, looking down at the giant landmass with a bemused look.

 “I take it you never saw a floating island before?” Flamewar remarked. In a flash, Nightshade had a sword to her neck. “It was a joke, calm down.”

 “We need to call this in to Megatron.” Nightshade said. “This…is something he must know about.”

 


	25. The Original Sin part 2

Chapter 24-The Original Sin part 2

 A floating island, as if meeting alien robots from space wasn’t weird enough. Runway explained to the kids that he and his comrades had called Brigadoon, the name of the island they stood on, their home for what Gina estimated to be nearly fifty years. Despite this, they deduced that the island had been roaming the rarely traveled lands of the poles undetected for far longer. As for how they were released from their stasis panels without an external activation device, the Air Defense Team confessed to not having been in panels, but in an escape pod.

 “Wait, why were you guys in an escape pod? The other Minicons were stuck in those things before Sparkplug fired them off.” Darren said. When they looked at each other silently, Darren realized this was another one of Sparkplug’s “secrets”.

 “We’ll…explain that later when we get your friends.” Sonar said. He didn’t seem particularly eager to be talking about classified information with strangers, friends of Sparkplug they may be.

As they journeyed back to the cave, Darren explained how they came to get on the island, as well as the damages their friends suffered. Runway nodded and rubbed his chin. “My, you tiny fleshies have been through some slag, haven’t you?”

 “You could say that.” Annie said wearily. “It seems to be a common occurrence with us.”

 Once they met up with the Street Action Team, it was a big reunion between the two teams, which definitely improved the former’s condition a bit. Darren explained how they met and High Wire glared at the children.

 “I thought I told you three to be careful.” He said. “I knew letting you three out alone was too dangerous.”

 “High Wire, we’re still alive and that’s all that matters. Besides, we got some help.” Darren said, pointing to the Air Defense Team.

 “Primus, why did it have to be them?” Grindor groaned.

 “Don’t be like that, Grindor. It’s not nice to be picky about your roommates, especially in your current predicament.” Runway said.

 “We’ve been waiting for nearly 50 stellar cycles for others to come to Brigadoon. It gets a bit boring talking to the same people over and over after a while. It doesn’t take long to get into the imaginary friend phase of isolation, when you start seeking attention from other sources. Like my friend Chagrin, here.” Jetstorm said, motioning to the empty space next to him. “Say help, Chagrin.”

 Chagrin said nothing. The others looked at Jetstorm before promptly ignoring him. The Street Action Team weren’t exactly ecstatic to run into the Air Defense Team, knowing how eccentric they are thanks to their interactions with Sparkplug back on Epistemus. They just hoped the flyers weren’t teetering on the edge of insanity.

 

 “Look, Runway,” High Wire said, letting Darren help him to his feet. “Is there any place where we can hold out until help arrives? I don’t feel safe staying in this cave, and we need to call the Autobots as soon as possible.”

 “Of course we have a secret base!” Sonar laughed jovially. “We wouldn’t have lasted as long as we did on this blasted island without one. We’re insane, not stupid.”

 “If you guys can fly, then why are you still here?” gina asked. “I know this place isn’t the most ideal location for you three to hang out in.”

 “Oh we tried flying off this rock.” Runway said.

 “But every time we tried to fly off, we get attacked by these flying serpents that just pop out of nowhere and try to tear us apart.” Jetstorm said.

 “Yeah, big red and gold with long snouts and teeth.” Sonar nodded.

 “You mean there are more of those things out there?” Annie gaped. Runway nodded.

 “Oh, loads of them. We try to avoid them all, especially those big burly brute things that carry those huge axes. Nasty things they are.”

 “Can we just leave before we inevitably jinx ourselves with all this talk of hostile living statues?” Sureshock pleaded. “We don’t have time to stand around talking.”

 “She’s right, we need to move now.” High Wire said. He looked to Runway. “Can you please lead us to your hideout? We’ll be forever grateful.”

 “Anything for allies of justice!” Runway cheered, earning more groans from Grindor.

XXXXXX

 Near the very edge of the floating island, Nightshade and Flamewar made their entrance by air. Flamewar was hanging onto Nightshade’s underbelly as the raven flew in through the island’s thick coating of mist, which felt denser and rather constricting than regular mist-it was like they were entering a planet’s atmosphere. Once they made it through, Nightshade flew in low to roughly drop Flamewar on the ground before shifting to robot mode and landing on her feet.

 “Thanks for the soft landing.” Flamewar grumbled.

 “Don’t expect another hand out like that again.” Nightshade said. “Next time, Starscream’s giving you a lift home.”

 Flamewar opened her mouth to retort, but paused when she saw something in the distance. “What’s that thing?”

 She pointed at something and Nightshade turned to see that she was looking at a tall object in the distance. Magnifying her optical vision, she saw that it was an obelisk-a tall pillar made of black onyx and dark sapphire with a golden pyramid on top with an eye on its three sides. It looked like nothing that could’ve been built by humans, and she was sure it wasn’t just sitting there for decoration.

 “Follow my lead, and don’t touch anything.” Nightshade ordered. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with here, and I don’t intend to find out.”

 “Yes ma’am.” Flamewar drawled, taking out her crossbow. She couldn’t stand that self-entitled turkey.

 However, before they could move a step from their position, a golden spear stabbed into the ground before them. Nightshade jumped back and drew her bow, Gandiva, on instant, scanning the area for hostiles. The spear was long, almost as long as Nightshade was tall, and had engravings along its length that seemed to radiate some kind of energy. Flamewar noticed a white feather float down in front of her and looked up to see nearly a two dozen shapes flying straight at them at high speeds.

 “We’ve got company!” She yelled.

 Nightshade looked up and saw what could only be described as angels descend upon them at once. They looked nothing like traditional angels, rather they had the appearance of gaunt humanoid birds with skin that looked more like smooth marble clad in gold armor. Their heads, shaped like birds, had no features other than a red helmet covering their skulls. Three fingered hands gripped more golden spears and radiated energy that Nightshade knew was going to hurt if it made contact with her.

 “What do we do?” Flamewar asked. “Fight or flight?”

 “Fight, they’ll chase us down if we try to run.” Nightshade said.

 The angels descended on the two Cons like birds of prey, intent on striking down the intruders. Nightshade pulled Gandiva’s string back and fired an arrow, the string giving a deep rumble like thunder as the arrow tore apart a large chunk of the enemy group. Shaken by the initial attack, the angels regrouped and began throwing their spears at them, and the spears turned into points of light that moved faster than the eye could see. Nightshade and Flamewar were forced to dodge the dangerous beams of light that burned deep holes into the ground when they impacted.

 More angels charged Nightshade, forcing her to switch to her swords, slashing and hacking away at the strange beings as they came at her with their spears. Flamewar fired her crossbow multiple times, though she was kept on her toes as more seemed to come at her at once. She back flipped onto a tree branch, but hissed as one of the spears sliced into her thigh. The blade had easily cut into her armor and seemed to burn like it was heated. When another spear cut into her shoulder, she realized that these weapons were more dangerous than they looked.

 “No more games.” Flamewar growled and tossed a grenade into the thick of their formation. The explosion took out three and wounded four, and she fired her crossbow at the others. “These things aren’t so tough!”

 As the Cons fought against the angels, the ruby eye on top of the obelisk began to glow. The pyramid atop the obelisk slowly rotated around so the eye was facing the ongoing battle miles away. It began charging up its energy, emitting a low hum that grew louder as energy coalesced. Once it charged up enough energy, the pyramid fired a large energy beam that was so bright, it actually darkened the area for a moment.

 Nightshade saw this light and her eyes widened as she saw the beam heading their way. Knowing that they had only seconds to evade, Nightshade didn’t bother to verbally warn Flamewar, instead opting to jump at the huntress and slam into her, knocking her to the ground. The angels were not so lucky, as they were vaporized on the spot by the white hot beam that hit them. It created a massive explosion that grew into a fiery dome that blasted Nightshade and Flamewar away with the sheer force of its detonation, and they disappeared in the plume of thick smoke and heat.

XXXXXX

 From their vantage point atop a hill, the kids and the Minicons saw the obelisk fire its heat beam at an unseen target and heard the distant explosion even from their far off position. They could even see the massive pillar of smoke rising into the air.

 “What was that?” Annie said weakly. Gina wrapped a piece of cloth from her shirt around the cut on her arm after thoroughly washing it at Sureshock’s insistence. It still stung, but it was all they could do for now. And with the adrenaline wearing off now, the children’s exhaustion became apparent.

 “The obelisk.” Runway answered cryptically. At High Wire’s questioning gaze, he said, “Don’t ask me what that thing is. All I know is that it’s at the center of the island. We learned the hard that the thing likes taking pot shots at random targets.”

 “And it’s packing more than enough firepower.” Sonar said. “Just stay out of its line of fire and you’ll be fine.”

 “I like how you guys sound so blasé about a giant eyeball raining down hell on you all.” Grindor said.

 “Eh,” Jetstorm shrugged. “After a while, you stop being afraid and just look at it like it’s a ray of sunlight in your eye. You’ll get used to it.”

 They continued on their way, walking down the other side of the hill towards a small canyon a little ways off. Darren took the lull in their journey to hang back with High Wire to talk.

 “You guys seem to know each other very well.” Darren remarked, not trying to hide the accusation in his voice. “You guys friends?”

 High Wire knew Darren was suspicious of everything regarding the Minicons, and he had a right to be. After all the cover ups between Sparkplug and Prowl, the kids became more wary of their alien friends. Enough friendships had been broken because of the need to keep secrets, and High Wire wasn’t willing to risk his.

 “Remember when I told you that my team was chosen to form a combiner team to protect the Minicons? Well, we weren’t the only ones.” High Wire explained. “There were three other teams as well, combiners like us, but instead of becoming one larger robot, they combined into gestalt weapons.”

 “A mix between combiner technology and targetmaster biology, like Songbird.” Sureshock said, looking back at them. “We formed the Minicons’ golden warrior, Centurion.”

 “And the other three teams formed weapons to be wielded by Centurion.” Grindor said.

 The kids looked at their friends with a new sense of wariness. They knew from Sparkplug that the combiner initiative was to protect the Minicons from the Bulks-namely Decepticons-but there was an unspoken statement that the Autobots could be part of that category too. High Wire didn’t need to know their thoughts to realize how disappointed they were in them.

 “I’m sorry, kids, but we were desperate. The Solomus Massacre was still fresh in our minds, and with the growing Decepticon raids on our villages, we had to do something.” High Wire said. “The Autobots may have wanted to help us, but there were a lot of them who wanted to see us Minicons dead or imprisoned, if for no other reason than to deny the Cons more power. Sparkplug did what he had for his people, and so did we. I have no regrets.”

 Seeking to break the tension, Gina looked to their new guides. “Runway, are the weapons you turn into strong enough to take out a Con?”

 “Oh yes, we were designed to be the most powerful weapons ever wielded by Minicon hands.” Runway said. “There was the Omni-saber, the Hydra Cannon and the Skyboom Shield. They were designed to be powerful enough to fight your average cybertronian.”

 “Only if you hit them hard enough, and in the right place.” Sonar added. “I’m sure you humans learned that the hard way.”

 “You could say that.” Annie huffed.

 “Here we are! Home sweet home!” Runway declared. The mixed group of humans and Minicons stopped at the edge of the canyon, where they saw the Air Defense Team’s base, which wasn’t what they were expecting.

 When Runway said they had a base, they thought he meant some cave they outfitted with salvaged tech from their escape pod, hell they thought it was just the pod by itself! They weren’t expecting to see a giant base in the middle of the canyon surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs with only one route of entry. If anything, it looked more like a cybertronian research outpost than anything else.

 The base consisted of three metal domes, the largest one was connected to the other two smaller domes via see through walkways made from strong ballistic glass, no doubt for protection against external forces. Next to the main dome was a tower of some kind, something akin to a radio tower used for communication.

 “This is your base?” Grindor gaped. “This place is fragging huge!”

 “Did you build all this?” Sureshock asked.

 “Nope. Wish I could say yes, but we found this place after exploring the island around our escape pod.” Runway said. “Come on, you need to meet Sara. She might be able to help you contact your friends.”

 “Sara?” Darren repeated. That sounded like a human name. Were there other humans living on this strange island as well?

 “She’s the one who lived here before we came along. A bit of a strange girl, but you’ll love her!” Sonar said.

 The combiner team led their guests into the canyon, where they approached the front door. Runway inputted a six-digit code into the number pad and leaned in to allow an eye scanner scan his hidden optics. There was a loud click as the doors slid open and Runway entered with his team, though the kids and their guardians hung back a bit.

 “Should we go in?” Gina asked. “I mean, they seem trustworthy and all, but…”

 “The least we can do is give them the benefit of a doubt. They did save us.” Grindor said.

 “I agree, we need all the help we can get in this place if we want to make it out alive.” Darren said. He looked at Annie’s bleeding arm. “And we need to get your arm properly fixed, Annie. We’re going to be getting our hands dirty.”

 “Then it’s decided.” High Wire said. “Let’s go in.”

 They entered the door, coming into a sterile white room that looked surprisingly cozy; there was a little community center with a large round table, a dining area next to a communications area that had a large computer screen and what looked like a munitions storage area. Everything looked so futuristic, yet the design of the interior reminded the kids of the escape pod where they found the Minicons.

“Sara? Sara, we’re back!” Runway called out.

 “I am here.” A soft female voice called out from the communications station. “Is there something you need?”

 “We brought some friends back who need our help. They might be able to help us get off this rock.” Runway said.

 There was silence as the unseen female appeared from the wall of monitors and screens at the far left of the dome. It was a girl, a girl who looked no older than fourteen. She looked dainty and soft, clad in a long white dress with a round face, fair skin, and long green hair with equally deep emerald green eyes. Her defining feature was the small green gem sitting in the middle of her forehead. For the most part, she looked completely human, if not a bit stiff in her posture.

 That was when they noticed that her right forearm was split open, revealing a musculature of artificial muscles and circuitry inside. The girl’s green eyes settled on the children as her arm closed up, looking like a normal human arm once more.

 This girl wasn’t human at all. She was an android!

XXXXXX

 Nightshade and Flamewar trudged through the vacant wilderness covered in burns and sporting aching heads from the deafening explosion that nearly took them out. They managed to avoid the worst of the explosion that annihilated the angel swarm that attacked them, but the blast radius was so great that just being near the intense heat was enough for them to be severely burned. The loud boom of the explosion nearly blew out their audio sensors and they were running with ringing in their heads for several minutes.

 “I don’t get paid enough for this.” Flamewar groaned, driving through the plains in her two wheeled alt mode. Nightshade flew alongside her, cruising at a low altitude to avoid being spotted by the obelisk.

 “You don’t need to get paid. Serving Megatron and reaping the rewards of being a Decepticon should be reward enough for you.” Nightshade said.

 “Says his arm warmer.” Flamewar muttered.

 “What was that?”

 “Nothing,” Flamewar sang and changed the subject. “So what’s our next move? I doubt its stand around for that freaky laser to roast us again.”

 “Obviously, this place is not natural, and whoever built that weapon made it so that intruders won’t live long enough to ponder this island’s purpose.” Nightshade jerked her head at the obelisk. “That obelisk is a big clue to this island’s true nature. If we can secure it, then we should have the entire island under our control.”

 “So you say,” Flamewar said. “But I’ll play around, since it’s the only lead we have.”  

 They entered a forest, where they changed to robot mode and continued on foot into a clearing, where there was a field of brightly colored flowers sitting on a thick bed of vines. It all seemed normal, if a little too sweet for Flamewar’s tastes, but when they got close to the flowers, the vines suddenly sprang up and shot at the two femmes.

 “Oh come on!” Flamewar fired her crossbow at a vine shooting at her, but was grabbed around the leg and thrown into a tree.

 Nightshade used her boosters to jump off the ground and fired off her missile darts, incinerating the flowers and vines on the spot, though the vines took longer than normal to wither away into ash.

 “Are you alright?” Nightshade asked and went to help Flamewar up, but the huntress pushed her hand away.

 “I’m fine, just dazed. That vine hit harder than it should have.” Flamewar said. Then she noticed a tinkling sound, like tiny bells, followed by children’s laughter. “What’s that?”

 The childish laughter grew louder and Nightshade looked around the clearing from the source. The innocent sound of children giggling sounded ominous in her ears and she tried not to get too creeped out by the atmosphere that was dampening around them. Having enough of this, Nightshade pointed her bow to the sky and fired an arrow upwards, the deafening thunderclap silencing the laughter.

 “Stop laughing and show yourselves, cowards!” Nightshade yelled.

 For a moment, there was silence, and then small orbs of light appeared above the burnt remains of the flower garden. The orbs grew to the size of boulders and broke apart to reveal twelve strange creatures.

 The creatures looked like small heads with wings sprouting from their sides, flapping so fast they were barely visible. The heads had the faces of human children, all smiling innocently, though their intentions were anything but. At the front of the group was a larger head that had the face of an old man with a beard and sapphire eyes. The heads hovered around the femmes, laughing together as if they were playing a game. It didn’t take Nightshade long to realize that they were in fact blocking their escape routes.

 “What the hell are these things?” Flamewar demanded.

 “Trouble. Don’t start asking questions, just kill them all and don’t let them gang up on you.” Nightshade said.

 “Speaking from experience?” Flamewar quipped.

 The flying heads stopped circling them and their faces split open to reveal large blue crystals that pulsated with energy. Nightshade readied her mystical bow.

 “You have no idea.” Nightshade replied.

 The creatures all fired their beams at once at the two Cons and the forest was once again engulfed in a dance of fire and lightning.

XXXXXX

 “Uh…” Darren didn’t know what to say in this situation. He was still in shock at seeing the robotic internals of the…girl standing before them. He could tell that his friends had similar reactions, not expecting some robot girl to meet them. “Hi, there.”

 “Hello, I am Sara, this base’s caretaker.” Sara said in a dull, emotionless tone. “Who are you?”

 “I’m Gina,” Gina said, quickly stepping up. “These are my friends, Darren and Annie, and the Minicons, High Wire, Grindor and Sureshock.”

 Sara stared at Gina intently, her eyes scanning the girl from head to toe. Gina got a little uncomfortable from her stare. The robot girl walked up to Gina and stared unblinkingly into her eyes.

 “Are you really Gina Harkins?” Sara asked.

 “Yes, I am, last time I checked.” Gina raised a brow at her. “How do you know my last name? I never told you that.”

 “I cannot divulge that information. You specifically instructed me not to reveal any dangerous information to you or your friends.” Sara said.

 “I told you that?” Gina asked slowly.

 Sara nodded. “Yes.”

 This was getting too weird and getting them nowhere. Darren stepped up to the girls to get Sara’s attention. “As fun as this is, we need your help. Do you have a medical kit or something for my sister? She’s hurt and-”

 “I will lead her to the medical facility. It is in the other dome to your left.” Sara said and briskly walked towards the sliding doors past another room that was shut tight.

 Annie gave Darren a nervous glance, but he urged her forward. Grabbing Grindor’s hand, she followed Sara out the room into the glass walkway connecting the three domes together. Once they were gone, Darren and Gina traded looks with High Wire and Sureshock.

 “That was interesting.” Sureshock said.

 “Let’s focus on contacting the Autobots.” High Wire said and turned to Runway. “Do you have any communication equipment we can use?”

 “There’s a console there by the Solivision.” Runway pointed to the computer in the relay station next to the flatscreen monitor. “Don’t expect to get any reception though, we’ve been trying to call people for ages and got nothing.”

 “That might be the work of some electromagnetic interference from some external source that’s blocking all radio waves.” Gina said. “You’re personal comm-units probably aren’t strong enough to get through to the outside.”

 “I think I might have a way around that.” High Wire took a seat and began typing on the console. He didn’t voice his idea, but the others trusted him enough not to ask.

 With the boys focused on their task, Sureshock looked to Gina. “Gina, are you alright? You look a bit out of it.”

 “That’s because I am. That girl…android, Sara…she looked at me like she knew me personally.” Gina said. “And what did she mean by I told her not to tell us anything?”

 “I’m just as clueless as you are, Gina. I’m more concerned about the fact that she’s an android of some kind. She’s not cybertronian, she looks too sleek to be made by cybertronian hands, but I don’t know who could’ve built her.” Sureshock said.

 “Maybe she’s human made?” Gina suggested.

 “But how could that be possible? Look at her, Gina, she’s too advanced to have been made by human hands, even beyond OZ’s capabilities.”

 Gina shrugged, too exhausted to really go deeper into this subject. But she couldn’t deny that something about Sara was oddly familiar. Looking into her eyes brought about a sense of déjà vu she couldn’t explain for the life of her.

 “Ms. Gina,” Sara the android entered the room with Annie and Grindor in tow. The girl’s arm was cleaned and bandaged. “I have repaired your friend for you. Is there anything else you need assistance with?”

 “No…yes, actually.” Gina pointed to the boys. “We’re trying to get a message out to the Autobots, er, our friends on the outside. Is there anything we can do to bypass the blackout zone around us?”

 “Verbal communications are blocked by the sphere of energy that is keeping this island afloat.” Sara explained. She walked over to the console and wordlessly pushed High Wire aside and began working. “If you want to alert others to your presence on the island, you must send out a beacon. One that they will recognize.”

 “A beacon,” Annie muttered. “What about a distress signal?”

 “Like the one we accidentally sent from Sparkplug’s escape pod?” Darren asked.

 “Yeah, except we can hide a message in it, like, uh, some kind of code.” Annie continued. She had no idea what she was saying, but she hoped that they got the idea.

 “I think I might have a way.” Gina said and looked at Sara. “Sara, could you send something for me?”

 “Of course, Ms. Gina.”

XXXXXX

 “Optimus, I got something.” Ratchet said from his spot at the Teletran-1 terminal.

 Optimus and Sparkplug, who was hanging out with Longarm by the smaller computer terminal, joined the medic at the console. “What is it, Ratchet?” Optimus asked.

 “Teletran just picked up a signal from the north pole. It appears to be a beacon, similar to the distress signal from the Minicon escape pod.” Ratchet said. He studied the beacon’s code some more. “And I think there’s an embedded message attached to it too.”

 Ratchet entered a command and had Teletran-1 decode the message, except what they got back wasn’t a verbal message, it was…music. Optimus and Sparkplug looked confused as to what was going on, but it seemed Ratchet knew exactly what it was.

 “Is that music?” Sparkplug asked. “Where did that come from?”

 “I recognize the tune, it’s the theme from one of the human television shows that I watch.” Ratchet said, though he seemed a bit embarrassed to admit that. “No one else knows that I watch that show except…Gina!”

 “Gina?” Sparkplug looked up at Ratchet. “Ratchet, do you think Gina sent this?”

 “Possibly, she’s the only one who’d do something like this.” Ratchet’s face brightened up. “Optimus, the kids didn’t just send a sign that they’re alive, they’ve also signaled their location to us too!”

Optimus was silent for a minute as he processed this, then his posture straightened as he spoke with renewed strength. “Ratchet, have the Autobots assemble at the ground bridge. We’re going to rescue our friends.”

 “Keep in mind that you’ll be running in blind Optimus. We don’t know where in the North Pole the children are, or what kind of resistance you’ll meet there.” Ratchet said.

 “If we do meet hostile resistance there, then we will fight. I made a vow to protect those children, and I stand by that vow,” Optimus said firmly. “No matter what.”

XXXXXX

 At the same time, Megatron was also ready to mobilize. Thanks to Soundwave being interfaced with the Nemesis’ communications array, he detected a signal coming from the island-a beacon that was similar to the distress signal that started this pocket war in the beginning. Megatron thought it was another collection of Minicons, but he reigned himself in before he could become too enamored with that thought. That island was strange enough as it is, and he wondered if it was some trick-like the smoke and mirror slag those three stone witches used on him. He had to be careful so as to not fall into the same trap, or worse.

 Starscream watched impatiently as his leader contemplated their next move. He hid his impatience well, silently hoping that Nightshade was dead, along with that traitorous harlot Flamewar. If they were dead, then it was one less obstacle in his way to keep him from his ascension to greatness.

 “Megatron, what will be our course of action?” Starscream asked.

 Megatron didn’t say anything for a few minutes before turning to Soundwave. “Has there been any word from Nightshade or Flamewar?”

 “No, we’ve lost contact with them the minute they landed on the island.” Soundwave reported, expertly hiding his worry for Nightshade behind a stoic wall. “Songbird stated that she lost sight of them the moment they vanished into the mist surrounding the island.”

 “Songbird?” Starscream spat. “What’s that little wretch doing away from her master?”

 “Nightshade left her behind in case anything went wrong on the mission. She said that there were loud explosions going on within the cloud, then nothing since.”

 Megatron frowned. This wasn’t good news at all. “Very well, Starscream, gather your Seekers and notify the others to mobilize immediately. We’re taking that island.”

 “T-That’s a bold move, Megatron.” Starscream said, surprised at this sudden decision. “What brought this on? Seeking to avenge our fallen dark bird?”

 Megatron grabbed Starscream by the throat and dragged him in close. “I suggest you watch your tone, Starscream. I’m not in the mood.” Megatron growled and threw the Seeker to the floor. “That island is not natural and I intend to uncover its true nature. What we find on that island could be what grants us our victory over Prime’s forces and finally set the stage for conquering this world. Time isn’t on our side today, so do as I say, Starscream, and GATHER OUR FORCES!”

 Starscream scrambled to his feet, bowing with a muttered “Yes, Megatron” before running off the bridge. Soundwave got up, but Megatron stopped him.

 “You stay here under Knockout’s watch.” Megatron said. “You have not fully recovered, and I can’t have you getting into those fits of yours on the battlefield.”

 Soundwave said nothing, simply nodding his head to show that he understood. Megatron knew he wanted to come along and see if Nightshade was safe. The two had known each other long before the Decepticons were even a thought in his mind, and Megatron understood this. But Nightshade could take care of herself just fine, and if anything happened to Soundwave on his watch, he’d get an earful from her.

 “Leader-1, with me.” Megatron commanded and left the bridge with his Minicon in tow, ready to lay siege to another fortress with the full might of his power.

XXXXXX

 It’s done.” Sara said. “I cannot confirm that the message was received, but I can say that whoever finds it will know our location.”

 “That’s all we can hope for Sara. Thank you.” Gina said, smiling softly.

 “So what do we do now?  Just wait for something to happen?” Grindor asked.

 “I don’t see being able to do anything else at the moment.” High Wire said.

 Annie plopped herself down onto a chair and leaned back with a sigh. They had been going nonstop since earlier this afternoon and this was the first time she had time to rest up. For once, Annie was content to sit still and wait to see what happens.

 “Well, there’s nothing else to do but wait for our friends to pick us up and get us off this hell hole.” She yawned. “Wake me up when this is over.”

 “Whoa, hold on!” Darren said. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

 “We can’t? But that seems like a much better alternative than getting ripped to shreds by giant lion dog things.” Grindor said. The Air Defense team nodded in agreement.

 “No, have you guys forgotten about that giant eye beam that’s sitting only a few miles from us?” He asked. “That thing just fired off a shot that could blow the Bots away before they even realize what’s going on. They don’t know what we know.”

 “So what do suggest we do?” High Wire asked, though he had a feeling as to what Darren was planning.

 “We take that thing out before it destroys us or the Autobots.” Darren said strongly.

 Everyone looked at him then at each other, not really knowing how to respond to that. He was right of course, that obelisk was a danger that needed to be taken care of, but the question was how. They weren’t exactly powerhouses, combiner or not.

 “How do we destroy it exactly, Darren?” Grindor asked. “That thing’s like as tall as a small apartment building.”

 “And it’s heavily guarded.” Runway stated. “Did I mention that? No? Sorry then.”

 “We just can’t sit here! I’m willing to fight, and I know the rest of you are to.” Darren grunted and ran his hand through his hair. He looked at the Minicons, who seemed to agree with his sentiments but were still hesitant.

 “Darren, we understand where you’re going with this, but it’s not that simple.” Sureshock said. “We’re outnumbered and underpowered here, trying to start a fight now will only end badly for all of us. There’s nothing we can do.”

 “If it is firepower you are in need of, then perhaps I can be of assistance.” Sara said, gaining everyone’s attention. They almost forgot about her, seeing as she was quiet the whole time.

 “What do you mean, Sara?” Gina asked.

 “I have a way to boost out firepower enough to storm the obelisk,” Sara turned to the kids. “And I need you three to help me.”

XXXXXX

 The endgame was coming, this was the thought that both Optimus and Megatron had on their minds the whole time they were gearing up for what was possibly the most dangerous mission yet in their campaign on Terra. Miraculously, both leaders had proposed the exact same plans of infiltrating the island that was by now classified as a hostile enemy fortress; though Megatron was the only one who had an idea as to what they were fighting against.

 Optimus had sent Skyfire ahead to verify the origin point of the beacon in the North Pole, and her search turned up the massive floating island that was completely shocking to Optimus. Realizing that the kids were trapped on this island, Optimus geared up for another war-a different one. He was never a mech who condoned excessive violence, but whoever made that island clearly didn’t want it to be found, and if that was the case, then they would take measures to ensure that whoever found the island would be eliminated to keep its secret. The increasingly painful burning of the Matrix in his chest was proof that he wasn’t dealing with a conventional threat here.

 Optimus came up with a plan that unknowingly mirrored Megatron’s; treat it like a siege assault and perform an instant strike. They had to hit hard and quick before the enemy could gather their forces. The exact method of doing this, however, was nothing short of insane.

“You want me to what?” Ratchet gaped.

 “Ground bridge us above the island, Ratchet. I can’t risk the Ark being affected by whatever’s surrounding the island and stranding the ship onto it.” Optimus said.

 “Optimus, think about this-“ Ratchet said, but Optimus held up his hand.

 “I have, old friend. And this is the only way.” He said. “We have no idea as to who is our enemy, or if there is an enemy at all, but that island is clearly something unnatural to this world, and whoever created it could prove to be dangerous to the children and Minicons. I am not taking any chances here.”

Ratchet, though reluctant, knew that he couldn’t change Prime’s mind when he was like this, and thus conceded to follow his orders. Optimus turned to his team, who were ready and waiting with a full loadout of weaponry from their munitions vault and even with some of the Minicons along for the ride.

 “Autobots, I will be honest with you. I do not know what threats we will face, or how dangerous our excursion will be, but I do know this,” He said. “Our friends, members of Team Prime, are trapped on that island without any way of getting off. I won’t ask you to risk your lives for me, but do it for them, as they would have for all of you.”

 “No need to try to guilt trip us boss bot.” Jazz said. “We’re going in with no regrets.”

 “Save for the usual.” Wheeljack muttered. Bulkhead nudged his shoulder.

 Though he couldn’t physically show it, Optimus smiled at his team. Truly they were some of the best warriors a commander could have. Hefting Sparkplug onto his shoulder, and his Ion cannon onto his other one, Optimus faced the ground bridge as it activated and gave the command.

 “Autobots,” He yelled. “Transform and roll out!”

 The Autobots took their alt modes and drove into the ground bridge, where they were instantly transported into the frigid climate of the frozen north. They angled their bodies so that they fell straight down into the cloud that concealed the island, and let gravity do the rest. Skyfire flew around them so as to keep them from getting any surprise attacks as they made their entry.

 Just as Nightshade noted earlier, falling through the cloud was like pushing through a planet’s atmosphere. The Autobots were actually pushed back a little as they managed to brave through the first challenge of the island and emerged out of the cloud towards their destination. To their surprise, they already saw a huge battle going on down below.

 “What’s going on?” Ironhide yelled over the violent winds pushing against his form.

 _“It’s Cons!”_ Skyfire yelled over the comm.net. “ _Megs is here with nearly his entire squad and their duking it out with these huge bird things!”_

 “What bird things?” Arcee asked.

_“Those bird things!”_

Skyfire transformed and drew her particle cannon as a swarm of angels flew towards the falling Autobots. Optimus, Ironhide and Bulkhead, the heavier ones who could stick their landings without any problem, transformed and drew their weapons. In no time at all, the entire sky was alight with blaster fire and missiles shooting every which way as the three Autobots covered their much lighter friends. Skyfire was the only one who was making headway, shooting down the stone angels then switching to jet mode in a blink so that he could shoot them down with heat seeking missiles.

 “We’re coming down to the surface!” Jazz yelled. “Fire your grappling lines!”

 Jazz, Bumblebee, Prowl and Arcee fired their lines at the nearest trees, while Wheeljack simply activated jump jets in his forelegs so slow himself down enough in order to hit the ground in a roll and jump to his feet. Optimus and Ironhide hit the trees and landed on their feet, except Bulkhead, who fell on his back.

 “Up and at ‘em, kid! No time for lying on the job!” Ironhide helped Bulkhead up and began shooting the Affinities out of the sky. But the more he shot down, more took their place, flying in from whatever hole they nested in. “Prime, these things are gonna overrun us if we don’t move!”

 “Wheeljack, find the origin point of the distress signal now!” Prowl ordered. But the engineer was already on the job, using his built-in radar dish (which he just modified into his hand that morning) to locate any unusual pulse waves in the area.

 “It’s going to take some time!” He said.

 “Don’t worry Jackie, we’ve got some time to kill.” Jazz said, slicing the head off one of the angelic beings. Then he felt the ground tremble.

 Optimus felt it to, and he was forced to jump to the side to avoid getting cut in half by a large golden axe that flew from the trees. The ground trembled as a gigantic being, one similar to the angels, came stomping out of the brush.

came stomping out of the brush.

 The Autobots had never seen anything like it. It looked like some deformed Greco-Roman statue, large with stony skin and bulging muscles. Its form was hunched over with a red jewel on its back that glowed with power. Its thick, trunk-like legs were equally as thick as the rest of its body, and it lumbered forward like a hunchback brute as it grabbed its axe and swung it around with a deceptive amount of skill. The strangest thing about this thing was that its face was that of a stoic, cherubic child, calm and serene, though strange garbled roars were emitted from an opening in its neck. The brute looked down at the puny Autobots and raised its axe in a war cry as it charged at them.

 Jazz closed his mouth, which was hanging open and raised his cryo-emitter. “I take it back, make it snappy Jackie!”

XXXXXX

 Sara had taken the kids out of the base and led them to a large cave carved into the canyon wall. Though reluctant to allow the kids alone with the android, Darren assured them that it would be fine, though he was nervous as to what Sara could possibly want them fir. She took them into the cave and didn’t stop walking until they reached a dead end, puzzling the kids.

 “What are we doing here?” Annie asked.

 Sara didn’t answer. Instead, she took Gina’s hand and pressed it against the center of the wall. Gina was about to ask what she was doing, but then the spot where her hand was began to glow. Some hidden mechanism scanned her palm and then the ground beneath them started to move. It was an elevator disguised to blend in with the scenery. The elevator brought the awestruck kids down a long chute, before exiting into a large, dark cavern that was clearly artificial.

 “You told me that if I were to meet you again, I was to give you and your friends these machines.” Sara told Gina. “You said they would help greatly in the future.”

 “I said what? Sara, what are you…?” Gina trailed off as Sara pressed a button and the lights switched on. When they saw what stood before them, the children found themselves shocked speechless for the third time that day.

 The cavern was an underground hangar, one used for the storage and maintenance of talos, but it was haphazardly made and was more unorganized than a military hangar. At the back of the hangar were three talos sitting in holding cages. These mecha were fancier and colorful in design, aesthetically pleasing to the eye than the usual talos used in the military or sold to enthusiasts. Each machine sported a slender, streamline design to better fit the humanoid design, akin to the newer Nipponese models recently released, but something about them gave the units a futuristic flare. The talos stood around 26 feet each, taller than the average talos that usually stood around 6 feet, and they all had a different design that catered to their function.

 The talos on the right was mostly red with gold armor plating on the biceps and thighs, sporting a lavish if a bit average design common in most talos. The talos in the middle was black and white, shorter than the red talos by at least a foot or two and sporting a squat design with thick armor and two large black cannons mounted on the shoulders. The talos on the left was just as average in design as the first unit, white and purple along the torso, arms and legs. It had thick armor plates on the shoulders that could rotate around, but lacked any visible weapons aside from the cannons on its forearms and the larger cannon mounted on its back, connected to a large backpack unit.

 “Sara,” Darren said softly, feeling that he’d ruin the moment by speaking loudly. “What’s all this?”

 “These are talos that you will be piloting now and in the future.” Sara answered. “They are talos of the Omega Series, powered by third generation Apollo drives, and equipped with the best weaponry suited for your personalities and fighting styles. They will be your talos, Darren Radcliffe, your talos is the Prometheus. Annie Radcliffe, your talos is the Enyo. Ms. Gina, the Athena is yours.” She faced the children. “You three wanted to help the Autobots, so this is your chance to do so.”

 “This is awesome!” Annie gushed. She ran towards the black and white talos, the enyo. “Dubs on the bad boy here!”

 “Wha-no! No one’s piloting anything here!” Darren said and glared at Sara. “I don’t know what your plan is here, but we’re not as gullible as we look!”

 Annie raised a finger. “Actually-“

 “Shut up, Annie!” Darren yelled. “Do you actually think that we’re just going to hop into these things and jump into the middle of a battle? We don’t even know how to pilot a talos, let alone fight in one. There’s a reason people need licenses to pilot these things!”

 “I am not playing any games that I know of.” Sara replied. “I am merely doing as Ms. Gina ordered me-“

 “Stop saying that! You just met her, how can you follow orders of a girl who didn’t even know you existed before today?”

 “I am not at liberty to ask that question.”

 Darren was about to subdue her for answers when they felt the hangar shake. This was followed by faint explosions topside that were loud enough to be heard down there.

 “What’s that?” Annie asked.

 “It would appear that your Autobots have encountered the natives of this land.” Sara mildly noted. She looked back at Darren. “I understand your mistrust and reluctance, but time is of the essence. It is paramount that you pilot these talos and destroy the obelisk. It is the focal point of this island and mostly likely its source of power. Destroy it and your friends are safe.”

 “Why can’t you pilot one of them?” Darren demanded.

 “The talos are encoded to your biosignature. I cannot even enter them without express permission from one of you.”

 Darren growled, but Gina grabbed his shoulder to get his attention. “Darren, we don’t have time. If what she’s saying is true, then the Autobots are in trouble up there. We need to act, now.”

 I know, but…” He sighed and slumped his shoulders. Hearing more explosions outside, he was forced to make his decision. “Fine, we’ll pilot then. But if this turns out to be a trap…”

 Sara shook her head, her expression unchanged, though her eyes had a noticeable shine to them. “This is no trap, but an opportunity. A chance to become more than what you already are. A chance to become warriors.”

XXXXXX

 Sonar whistled as he saw the bright explosions going off in the distance. He could see the Autobots heading their way, but with three brutes chasing after them, along with a flock of angels that were taking pot shots at them with their “magical” spears (as dubbed by Runway). They were holding their own, but his main concern was that they were heading their way with the baddies on their tail, and that was not exactly ideal for the Minicons just barely scraping by.

 “What do you see?” High Wire shouted up to him.

 “Lots of explosions, Autobots fighting those freaky statue things,” Sonar reported. “And they’re heading our way with a lot of slag on them.”

 “I’ve got the same thing here, except there’s a lot of scary Decepticons coming towards us instead.” Jetstorm said. “I don’t like scary things Sonar.”

 “Me neither, Jetstorm.” Sonar replied, flying back down to the earth with his partner and returning to robot mode.

 High Wire sighed. Gina’s plan worked, but a bit too well, not only were the Autobots heading towards them, but also the Decepticons as well. Once the two met in the middle, the entire canyon will become a warzone. They needed to get to safety fast.

 “What is taking them so long?” Grindor growled. “We’ve got a storm coming, and they’re fooling around with HAL’s little sister.”

 “Calm down, they’ll be here soon.” Sureshock said calmly. But she did hope that they got here quickly.

 “We’re back!” Annie’s voice yelled from the door, though her voice sounded muffled, like she was talking through speaker. The Minicons ran outside to greet their friends.

 “Finally! We were worried about…”Grindor trailed off as he and the others took in the sight before them.

 Instead of their three human friends, three large Talos stood in their place; one red and gold, one black, and, one white and purple. Each step they took made the ground shake a bit, though their movements were a bit uneven and janky. Sara was sitting on top of Gina’s white unit the Athena, guiding them as they stopped in front of the Minicons.

 “High Wire,” Darren’s voice came from the external speakers of the red and gold Prometheus. “You better bring out Centurion. Because we’re going to storm that castle.”

 

 


	26. The Original Sin part 3

Chapter 25-The Original Sin part 3

 Piloting a talos for the first time was an odd experience, especially if you were a thirteen year old kid who hasn’t even been near a talos before. Learning how to pilot a talos took time and training to perfect, and soldiers were required at least two months of training to be certified to pilot a talos. For Darren, Annie, and Gina, they had to learn how to properly hold objects, walk, run and even fly in the span of a single day in a single hour in the midst of a battle between titans where death was a real danger. They had to learn what would normally take months in the span of a few minutes and under intense combat conditions too.

 Annie was the one who was most floored by this new experience, having actually been to military expos and actually been inside the cockpit of a few older talos models of the Osean military. She knew what a talos cockpit looked like, and this wasn’t the usual cockpit.

 The cockpit of the Omega Talos wasn’t the usual cockpit with three video monitors to the left, center and right of the pilot. They had a spherical cockpit block with a 360 panorama that was composed of multiple smaller monitors that together made up a 360 display that covered the entire inner surface of the cockpit. The pilot seat lacked seatbelts, but Sara assured them that it was designed to electromagnetically counter G-forces and impact shocks to protect the pilot. Combined with the 36-degree panoramic screen, it gave the pilot a larger field of view and eliminated blind spots.

 The OS of the talos was very responsive and made controlling the talos easier for the kids, with faster reaction times, fluid pilot control interface and guidance of the mecha’s weapons systems, it was more advanced by pilot-friendly than normal talos OS. The controls were designed to be simple enough that an elementary school student could use them, but they needed a lot of practice to utilize these mecha effectively. They were less than novices, certified noobs in Gina’s vernacular, but these talos were way too advanced to have been made by human hands.

 Currently, the children were heading towards the obelisk with Centurion following behind them; in the gestalt’s hands was the Omni-saber, the combined form of the Air Defense Team. The sword was almost as large as Centurion himself, but he carried it with ease as if it weighed no heavier than a feather. Sara was leading the way making sure that Gina was always within her line of sight, trying to be as close as possible to Gina for some reason that she refuses to disclose. The band of misfits stopped on top of a hill overlooking the clearing where the obelisk was situated.

The obelisk was tall, reaching high above them and ending in a magnificent looking pyramid with a single eye on all four of its sides. It looked much bigger up close, and its shiny black onyx composition made it look imposing. But not as imposing as the group of brutish looking brute creatures that formed a circle around the perimeter of the structure.

“So what’s the plan, fearless leader?” Annie asked. She leaned back in her seat and studied the large, hunchback creatures through her cockpit’s crystal clear monitor. It reminded her of her little stint with Michael, Uriel and Raphael, and how they almost killed her and her friends. It made her insides clench at the thought of how close they all were to getting killed. She was not going to be helpless like that ever again.

 “Should we try to create a diversion?” Gina suggested. “Draw them away from the obelisk then double back before they can regroup?”

 The pyramid fired another beam from its eye, this time at a trio of small dots in the distance. Centurion recognized them as the Seekers. He noted that Starscream was nicked by the heat beam and was sent falling to earth.

 “No time. We’re going to have to go in.” Centurion said, raising his sword. A white energy field covered the saber’s component parts, enhancing the blade’s sharpness while also keeping the combiners themselves safe. “We must strike now.”

 “On it.” Annie grinned. Pressing a button, she readied the Enyo’s targeting systems and took out a large bazooka-like cannon from the hardpoint on her back. Hefting it with two hands, Enyo targeted one of the brutes and Annie pulled the trigger, firing a massive energy beam from the cannon.

 Reaching to the large weapon mounted on a hard point behind her waist, Annie drew a large bazooka-like cannon that had a cord attached to her Apollo drive. Lifting it with ease despite being as large as her torso, Annie took aim at one of the brutes and pulled the trigger, firing a massive beam from the cannon.

The brute noticed the beam too late, and the creature got hit right in the chest and head. Its body was blown apart and crumbled to pieces next to its still walking comrades. Annie fired again and took out two more with well placed headshots that killed them immediately. The other brutes looked at the pile of rocks that used to be their brethren and looked up at the three children and Minicon gestalt with the oversized sword.

 This stare down only lasted a second before the brutes gave bestial roars of pure rage, their necks splitting open to reveal grotesque mouths to show their anger. Following their temper tantrum, the brutes charged the hill with their axes raised, looking far more terrifying now that their rage was directed at the kids.

 “W-We have their attention.” Gina said nervously. “So what do we do now?”

 Sara jumped in front of the children as her body underwent a drastic transformation of her own. Her right forearm shifted, splitting apart to form a laser blade and her hand split apart to form a palm blaster. Her bare feet reconfigured to expose small boosters and her back sprouted two wing-like appendages that vented green particles that allowed her to hover in the air.

 “We fight.” Sara said. “As you once said, Ms. Gina, into the fire we go.”

 The kids, Centurion and Sara all charged forward, beginning the battle that will either make or break their debut into the battlefield. At that moment, all their reservations about piloting talos faded away. This was their chance to make a difference, not just on the sidelines, but on the field. They knew it was dangerous, they knew they could die, but more than just their lives were at stake. The Autobots risked a lot for them numerous times, and now it was time for the children to return the favor.

XXXXXX

 The Decepticon invasion of Brigadoon had begun smoothly, at first. They positioned the Nemesis above the island as planned and the strike team disembarked, falling through its thick, atmospheric cloud and landed on the accursed island. But as soon as they touched down, they were assaulted by these strange angelic beings who attacked them en masse. They weren’t hard to shoot down, but their numbers took them off guard. Lugnut and Blackout were already shooting down the ones that landed, while the Seekers were busy engaging in dogfights above their heads. Megatron was firing blasts from his fusion cannon, destroying large numbers of Affinities, only for more to come from whatever hive they crawled out of. It was getting annoying, and Megatron didn’t like to be annoyed in the middle of a battle.

 Megatron eyed the obelisk a few miles from him, but his attention was divided between his objective and finding Nightshade. He didn’t like having himself distracted like this, but she was a valuable player in this Terran war game, and losing her was something he could not afford.

 “Search,” He looked at the Minicon at his feet. “Have you located Nightshade yet?”

 Search was in his alt mode doing what he did best, recon. Leader-1 stood next to him for protection as he tried to scan the local area for any other Decepticon signals. He wasn’t usually this dedicated to doing his job, but seeing as how high strung Megatron got when Nightshade was in danger, he figured that it would be better for his health that he made an effort not to piss him off.

 “I’m still trying to find her, lord Megatron,” Search said, his mind still focused on sensing something nearby. “But it might take some time.”

 “We don’t have time, you fool!” Leader-1 growled. “Work faster. Boost the power to your sensors.”

 “They’re already bordering in the red zone you piece of slag!” Search replied. He did not like being rushed, especially by a yes man like Leader-1. “If you think you can do a better job, then be my guest. At least I’m better at fighting than you.”

 “Does this look like the time to be fighting, you fools?” Megatron shouted. “Focus on the task at hand, Search, or I will have Scalpel dismantle you alive!”

 Search did as his master commanded. Leader-1 was about to gloat when Megatron called out his name. “Y-yes, lord Megatron?”

 “If you are done cementing you position as alpha, then would you mind powerlinking with me?” Megatron asked menacingly. “If that isn’t too much to ask?”

 “At once, my lord!” Leader-1 transformed and attached himself to Megatron’s left arm. The process sent a surge of energy coursing through Megatron, and the warlord grinned as he brought out a long cobalt blade from his left arm, one that was coated in electricity.

 “Lord Megatron!” Blackout shouted from above. “Something is happening on top of the obelisk!”

 Megatron turned towards the obelisk and saw a bright light shining from the face of the pyramid on top. As the light grew brighter, Megatron’s instincts told him to move, and he did. “Get away from the area!”

 The other Decepticons didn’t waste time in following his command, all save Starscream, who was shooting down one last boogey before falling back. He didn’t expect a huge heat beam to come shooting past him, dangerously close, and hitting the ground near them. The Seeker yelped as he felt his armor warp slightly from the intense heat, and he and the other flyers were blown away by the huge explosion that erupted afterwards. Megatron, Barricade, and Lugnut were also blasted away by the force of the explosion, sent flying in separate directions.

 Megatron grunted as he skidded along the ground before stopping himself. He looked at the pyramid and saw that it was gearing up for another shot. “Damn!”

Megatron transformed and drove as fast as he could to avoid the second blast that was fired at him. Once again, he was sent flying from the explosion, which didn’t seem any less powerful than the one before it. So not only did this thing have a fast recharge cycle, it was able to fire beams of energy repeatedly without losing energy or overheating. It was just his luck that he would be within its sights.

“Someone get over there and destroy that weapon!” Megatron roared.

 “My lord, the Seekers and Blackout are already hard pressed to defend us against the airborne enemies. We can’t move unless we wipe out these creatures.” Leader-1 said.

 “Then wipe them out!” Megatron hissed and fired his fusion cannon at the brute that dared to charge him.

 “Megatron!”

 Megatron changed forms and saw Nightshade and Flamewar running in his direction. They both looked like they had been through hell and back, but were mostly in one piece and fighting shape. But behind them was a large red and gold serpent chasing them at high speeds. It was an Inspired, a beast just like the one Bulkhead and Ironhide fought in Belka. Nightshade was firing Gandiva at it, but the serpent easily weaved through the air and dodged her attacks.

 “Lugnut,” Megatron called out to the bruiser. He pointed in Nightshade’s direction. “Destroy that beast and lay down some cover for her.”

 “Yes, Lord Megatron!” Lugnut had Search link up with him and changed his arm into his pressure pad bomb.

 The Inspired snapped its jaws at Nightshade and Flamewar, trying to get at least one of them in its teeth to crunch in half. Nightshade fired an arrow from Gandiva, but the serpent dodged the projectile and whipped its tail at her. She and Flamewar were smacked aside by the thick tail, tossing them to the ground. The Inspired coiled back and shot forward like a bullet at Nightshade…only to get a rain of missiles peppering its body.

 “Face me beast!” Lugnut bellowed, running at the serpent with his mace held high. “Fight a warrior who is not injured, or are you afraid?”

 “What the hell is he doing?” Flamewar asked.

 “Doing what he does best.” Nightshade replied.

 The Inspired immediately accepted the Con’s challenge by raised itself to its full height and roaring. Lugnut swung his mace at its long body, but it thrashed its tail and slammed it into him. But Lugnut was a hardier opponent, and he grabbed the tail with a firm grip.

 “Lady Nightshade!” Lugnut grunted.

 Nightshade boosted into the air and pointed Gandiva at the creature. Letting an arrow loose, she watched satisfied as the serpent’s head exploded in a burst of light and sent a fine red powder spewing everywhere. Its headless body fell to the ground and Lugnut dropped its limp tail.

 “Lady Nightshade,” Lugnut ran over to his superior and got down on one knee. “It’s good to see that you’re safe.”

 “Nice to know you care so much for me.” Flamewar drawled.

 “Silence, heathen! I am speaking to our commander!” Lugnut shouted.

 “Lugnut, what’s the situation?” Nightshade demanded.

 We are heading to take the island into our control, but we’re under attack by these strange creatures that are holding us back.” He reported.

 Nightshade narrowed her eyes at the Affinities swarming the other Decepticons. “I can see that.”

 “Then I shouldn’t need to explain to your little predicament involving the obelisk’s power.” Megatron walked up to them. “It is good to see that you are in one piece, Nightshade.”

 “We’re not safe until we can get that tower offline.”

 “Any suggestions?” He asked.

 Nightshade bit her lip and shook her head. “I’ve ran the possible scenarios in my mind already. If the tower doesn’t shoot us down, then we’re going to get overpowered in a Spark pulse. There’s very little options that we can take.”

Don’t forget the Autobots are here as well.” Flamewar chimed in.

“What?!” Megatron looked at the huntress with blazing eyes. “How do you know that?”

 “A girl knows when her soul mate is nearby.” Flamewar smirked and tapped her chest plate. “I can feel Arcee’s presence. If she’s in this hellhole, then she’ probably not alone.”

 Megatron forced himself to remain calm. It’s typical that the Autobots are here. Knowing Optimus, he probably brought his entire team to the island. Fighting both them and the stone creatures would put too much strain on his forces, but he was in no way backing down from this battle. This floating island would be his!

 “Megatron, we have two choices here.” Nightshade said. “Storm the obelisk in an all-out assault, or try to lower the enemies numbers enough to approach the tower without wasting too much power. Either way we’ll be hit from both sides pretty hard.”

Megatron looked at her, then to the obelisk. That monolith was too powerful to be allowed to remain standing, and he needed it gone if he wanted to properly secure this island. The enforcers attacking them were merely cannon fodder once their greatest weapon was long gone.

XXXXXX

 The Autobots were having about the same amount of luck the Decepticons were with their enemies, only they weren’t fighting any more. Optimus was leading the charge through the vast fields with the rest of his Autobots as they drove through the plain towards the location beacon sent by the kids. Behind them, a small army of the monstrous was in hot pursuit, their weapons raised high and roaring like animals as they chased after their escaped quarry. Optimus wouldn’t have even considered the idea, seeing as they were leading these strange beings straight to the kids and Minicons, but Skyfire picked up their slack by shooting the brutes down with her missiles and Gatling gun rounds.

 “Skyfire, how are things going up there?” Optimus asked.

 “About as good as it can be Prime.” Skyfire answered, shooting down another brute with her dual laser cannons. “But these guys are hard to take down. If I keep this up, I’ll run out of juice before the party starts to kick off.”

“Just hold on as long as you can until we can find a way to take them all out at once.” Optimus replied.

 That was easier said than done. The brutes were not only strong but durable, with their stony hides so strong that it even took a few direct hits from Prime’s ion cannon to take just one down. Their strength was enough to make even Ironhide back off and their weapons-something about those axes they wielded made it so that they were scalding hot to the touch, like they were made of white fire. It was getting to the point that Optimus ordered everyone to break off their engagement and regroup until they could think of a more effective strategy that didn’t involve getting beaten into the ground.

 “ _Optimus Prime,”_ A soft voice whispered in Optimus’ comm channel-a private one that he rarely used except for certain situations. “ _Can you hear me?”_

Optimus kept the surprise out of his voice and was immediately cautious. “I can,” He replied. “Who is this?”

 “ _I am Sara, a fifth generation bioroid at the service of Ms. Gina Harkins. Your friends, both human and Minicon are safe in my care, but time is of the essence.”_

“ _That obelisk before you is the focal point of this island that also acts as a control center. It manages the biomes and ecosystems on this island, and also provides the anti-gravity lift that keeps it afloat.”_ Sara explained quickly. “ _It is also its primary defense systems, as I’m sure you’ve already learned. I am currently with the children and the Minicons attacking the obelisk right now in order to take it over and gain control of this island, but we need more time.”_

 _“_ So you’re asking me to provide a distraction.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. He didn’t ask why the kids were aiding in this little assault and he figured that she wouldn’t tell him even if he asked.

 “ _Yes, that is correct.”_ There was a slight pause before Sara spoke again. “ _I must go. There will be reinforcements soon, and I must aid Ms. Gina in making an entry point.”_

 _“_ Wait!” Optimus said but Sara had already signed off. “Damn.”

Skyfire slowed her speed and flew low to provide more air support, but one of the brutes threw its axe at her. The axe cut through her left wing and she went spiraling out of control. Seeing that the aerial nuisance was hit, the other brutes also threw their axes at her as the Autobot tried to control her descent.

 “It’s just not worth getting up in the morning!” Skyfire yelled as she crashed into the ground. she switched to robot mode as rolled across the ground, throwing up dirt and grass in her wake, with Comettor detaching from his partner and hitting the ground as well.

 “Optimus, Skyfire just went down!” Ironhide announced.

 ‘It appears that the choice was just made for me.’ Optimus thought. ‘I’m sorry, children, but you must wait for us just a little longer.’

 Optimus made a hard left, his wheels digging trenches in the ground as he spun around and drove back the way he came. He saw Skyfire on the ground, cradling an unconscious Comettor with the brutes almost on top of her. Increasing his speed, he drove as fast as he could until he was within breathing distance of Skyfire and changed to robot mode, using his built up momentum to push himself off the ground and flip over Skyfire, powerlinking with Sparkplug to draw his battle blade. He sliced the head off the first brute to reach him and fired an ion blast into the chest of another. He ducked under an axe swipe and stabbed another brute in the head, his red hot blade cutting through their stone skin like butter.

 The other brutes advanced upon them, but they were held back by a barrage of energy and incendiary fire from the other Autobots that arrived on the scene. With his teammates keeping the monsters at bay, Optimus saw to Skyfire.

 “Are you hurt, Skyfire?” He asked her as he helped her to her feet.

 “Comettor’s knocked out, but I’m fine.” Skyfire groaned at her damaged wing. She was a durable flyer, just like the terran alt mode she chose, but the axe had cut straight through her wing with disturbing ease. That was going to hurt in the morning.

 “If you can still fight, get ready to jump back in.” Optimus quickly raised his ion cannon and blasted off the face of a charging brute. Its body fell and skidded through the dirt before stopping at Prime’s feet. “We need to hold these creatures off for as long as we can.”

 “What?! I thought we were gonna get the kids and Minicons!” Skyfire exclaimed.

 “The plan has changed a bit. The children are in the middle of something and we need to stall these creatures for as long as possible.” Optimus explained. “Are you with me, Skyfire?”

 Skyfire looked at Optimus before taking out her twin barreled laser cannon. “Do you really need to ask?”

 Optimus nodded and the two Autobots ran back into the battle, firing weapons at everything that was an enemy. Prime wasn’t sure if this was the best course of action, but he had to trust the kids on this one, and for High Wire’s team to keep them safe. However, as he stabbed his sword into a brute’s hunched back, he felt that this was not the worst this island had to offer.

 And still, the Matrix burned.

XXXXXX

 Against all odds, the children were actually holding their own at the battle at the foot of the obelisk. Aided by a Minicon gestalt armed with a powerful oversized sword and a battle ready android, the talos’ operating systems and powerful weapons were more than enough to compensate for the lack of skill the children had.

 The Prometheus, Darren’s designated talos, was a mid to long range fighter equipped with what Sara called a beam rifle. It was basically a large gun that drew power from the unit’s power source, the Apollo drive-which Sara never really gone into detail on explaining what it was aside from an advanced solar reactor-via a small connector in the Prometheus’ hand that connected to the rifle and fired condensed beams of ionized particles. This weapon was powerful enough to blast holes straight through the brutes’ bodies in a single well placed shot. In addition to that, any brutes that got in his personal space were ruthlessly cut down with his beam saber, another weapon that drew power from the Apollo drive to create a long point of ionized particles encased in a magnetic field that could slice through stone and metal with great ease.

 Gina’s Athena talos was only armed with two arm mounted pulse cannons, though they fired powerful pulse blasts that grew stronger the longer the distance they traveled, drawing on ambient electromagnetic energy to increase their power. Still, her lack of armaments because of her unit’s non-combat oriented role had her hanging back near Darren to support him while they both tore apart their enemies. Gina wanted to use the beam cannon on her talos’ back, but Sara cautioned her from using it unless absolutely necessary.

 Annie was in the thick of it, firing her beam bazooka with a mad grin. Armed with arm mounted Gatling guns, shoulder mounted beam cannons, she was a literal war machine, tearing apart any brute that came her way. Her armor was the physically strongest of the three, but not the fastest, and Sara stood near her to watch her back as she slew her enemies.

 “This is awesome!” Annie laughed. A brute came up behind her and she swerved around, riddling its face with AP (armor piercing) rounds from her Gatling guns. Its face was torn apart and it fell over with a thump.

 “Annie, please take this seriously.” Darren said, but he too felt the rush of battle flowing through his veins. It felt exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

 “I am taking this seriously.” Annie replied haughtily. “Did you see how many I killed already? 7 brutes in the past ten minutes, and that was with just the bazooka. Try to beat that record!”

 “Speak for yourself, I’ve already took down 8.” Darren said.

 “Guys, could you please focus?” Gina grunted.

 While the kids were taking out the heavy hitters, Centurion and Sara were making quick work of the airborne angels. He cut a few down with his omni-saber, but he barely had time to shine as Sara flew across the battlefield, jumping and leaping through the air firing her arm cannon and avoiding the spears thrown her way. She was like lightning, too fast to track down properly before she cut you down.

 Sara did a backflip off the back of a brute and landed at the foot of the obelisk, with the black wall behind her. A brute chased after her, large unwieldy hands trying to grab at the tiny android, but she jumped up onto its arms and kicked it in the face. As it staggered back in pain, Gina turned and fired her pulse cannons at its back, blasting a hole straight through it and into the obelisk. There was a large explosion and as the smoke cleared, there was a large hole blasted into the wall.

“There’s our way in.” Darren noted. He looked around at the thousands of crumbling bodies that were their enemies and felt a wave of satisfaction flow over himself. “That felt…fun. Even when I fought against the Mini-Cons I never felt a rush like that.”

“Welcome to my world, bro. It feels good being a badass for once, doesn’t it?” Annie smiled.

 “I think I need to take five. That was intense.” Gina said, tired but smiling.

 “There is no time to rest. Reinforcements will be here soon, as are the Decepticons and the Autobots. Be prepared to fight again.” Sara said. She looked at Centurion. “Come, we will go inside and deactivate the pyramid.”

 Sara didn’t wait for a reply as she ran into the obelisk with Centurion in tow. The kids were left standing outside with their Talos.

 “So,” Annie said. “What do we do now?”

 “We wait. Sara said she’s got this, and we should trust her.” Gina said.

 “Yeah, because the mysterious android who calls you “Ms. Gina” is totally swell.” Annie replied sarcastically.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” A menacing voice cackled. “Three new players in our little war game. How quaint.”

 The kids spun around and saw Megatron standing just a few feet from them with his entire Decepticon team behind them, their weapons trained on the trio. The kids quickly got their units into combat mode and also raised their weapons, though they were at a severe disadvantage. They didn’t stand a chance against Megatron alone, lest of all the entire Nemesis team. This was not good.

 “Shit.” Annie muttered.

 “Looks like the three humans got an upgrade of their own.” Starscream grinned. “Not that it will do them any good.” Starscream raised his null ray. “Stand down humans. We’re not here for you, only the obelisk. If you surrender now, we can assure you remain unhurt.”

 “Hell no!” Darren growled. Megatron’s expression darkened.

 “I don’t think you understand the situation you’re in right now.” Megatron said. He raised his arms towards his group. “We outnumber you ten to one. You fancy little toys are no match for us. Not even an army of Talos can stand against one of our kind, and yet here you are trying to make one last futile stand.” He pointed his fusion cannon at the Prometheus. “I won’t tell you again. Stand down, or die.”

“Don’t you dare!” Gina stepped in front of Prometheus, her unit’s beam cannon unfolding from its back to reach its full length and pointed it at Megatron’s head. Megatron grinned and barked a raspy laugh that Darren wished he never heard again.

 “Are you really going to shoot me, girl? Right here, in front of my own troops?” Megatron snorted and lowered his cannon, beating a fist against his chest. “Go ahead, be my guest. But you better make sure that you hit me, girl, because you won’t get a second chance.”

 Silence filled the area. Darren and Annie could not see Gina’s expression, not knowing how to operate their talos’ comm function to see each other. Gina said nothing and the Athena was frozen in its firing position, charging up its beam cannon. Just when the twins made to call out to her, Gina spoke up.

 “Who said I was aiming for you?”

 She moved the cannon’s aim a few inches to the right and fired. The cannon shot a powerful particle beam that sounded like thunder as it shot over Megatron’s shoulder, the intense particles searing his armor just from being near it, and hit Lugnut in the middle of his chest. . Megatron slowly turned around to look at one of his most loyal soldiers, Nightshade stared at the hole burned into Lugnut’s chest, the spot where the beam had entered, burning through layers of thick armor and piercing his spark chamber directly.

 “L-lord Megatron…?” Lugnut rasped before his chest exploded in a shower of sparks and metal. He fell to his knees, with Search popping off his arm and looked at the sight in shock. Lugnut’s head fell forward and his red mono-eye went dark and his body fell limp.

 Lugnut was dead on the spot, with a large, gaping hole in his torso.

Darren and Annie stared at Gina in shock, but they couldn’t see how steely Gina’s expression was. If she died today, without doing all the things she dreamed of-becoming a world famous explorer, finding her father, being with Darren-all because of this damn island, or by the Decepticons, she was not going down without taking at least one of them with her. Despite her steeled demeanor, she jumped in her seat when Megatron gave a truly bestial cry of pure rage.

 KKRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”

 Megatron’s eyes bored holes into Gina’s soul as he raised his fusion cannon to shoot the talos, and its young pilot into oblivion. Darren, Gina and Annie all prepared to move, but they would still be too slow to avoid the attacks of the other Cons. Then, just as the barrel of Megatron’s fusion cannon began to glow, he was hit in the head and chest by two energy bolts that knocked him off his feet. The other Cons were also driven off by the sudden assault.

Don’t even think about it Megatron!”

 It was like déjà vu. The kids turned to see Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots standing between them and the Decepticons. Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee took their positions beside their friends, keeping an eye on the Cons, but also sneaking glances at the new Talos they were piloting.

 “So,” Bulkhead said. “You gonna tell us where you got the new digs?”

 “You wouldn’t believe us if we told you.” Darren said, his voice shaky. Arcee noted this, even behind the Talos’ speakers, but she stayed focus on the scene going on before them.

Optimus, Jazz, Ironhide and Prowl stood side by side as they faced the Cons. Prowl noticed Lugnut’s still upright corpse sitting beside the fallen Megatron. He looked at Optimus, but all Prime did was give him a shake of the head. This wasn’t the time to talk about it.

“Don’t you dare, Prime!” Megatron snarled. Starscream and Barricade tried to help him up but he pushed them away. “Don’t you dare get in my way! I was lenient on those humans before but no more! THEY DIE TODAY!”

 “Then you will have to get past all of us Megatron.” Optimus said as he pointed his cannon at Megatron’s head.

 “That won’t be an issue.” Nightshade growled, pulling back Gandiva’s string.

  The death of Lugnut seemed to have spurred the Decepticons to keep fighting despite their previous exhaustion. A human just killed one of their own. This wasn’t just business anymore, it was personal. They were out for blood. Similarly, the Autobots were not going to let the Cons have their friends, and were willing to fight to death if it meant keeping them safe. No Autobot, human or Minicon was going to die today. Both sides readied their weapons and prepared to unleash everything they got. The kids also prepared for the storm that was about to erupt and got ready for the fireworks to go off.

 Then, just as the rage building between the two sides reached a critical point, and fingers began to pull triggers, there was a loud roar, and the ground began to tremble. Then the obelisk exploded in a manner that was almost biblical in proportion.

XXXXXX

**Five minutes earlier**

The interior of the obelisk was different than what Centurion originally thought. It wasn’t completely solid, and had a long spiral staircase that went all the way to the top. Sara shifted her weapons back into her hands and looked up at the taller gestalt.

 “How high can you jump?”

 “Pretty high,” Centurion answered, confused. “Why?”

 “I will need to get us up there quickly. I do not want Ms. Gina and her friends to be left alone for too long.”

 Centurion nodded and held his arms out. Sara jumped onto his  back and he activated the boosters in his feet to gain more height as he jumped at least two feet into the air. Grabbing onto the stair case, he pulled himself up into another vertical leap. Despite the added weight of Sara and the sword, he had no problem reaching the top of the obelisk, where they were met with a large golden door with a human face on the front. Sara turned to Centurion and nodded.

 Centurion lifted the omni-saber above him in a reverse-grip and stabbed it into the door. The sword vibrated with energy that was channeled into the door before it exploded. That was one of the onmi-saber’s tricks, it could send out high frequency vibrations that could shatter almost anything it came into contact with-provided it had the time to charge up. This feature was cooked up with the knowledge that the Air Defense team would be forced to fight Bulks at some point in time, so methods were created to find ways to defeat the Minicons’ larger counterparts without needing heavy artillery or ordnance. Why use bigger weapons when you could dish out equally devastating firepower with smaller tools if used properly? This key factor was taken into account when the gestalt program was innovated.

Centurion and Sara entered the doorway and were met with what could only be described as the pyramid’s control room. It looked like the main engine of the Ark, with highly advanced components and machinery that layered the interior of the golden pyramid that caused the bots down below so much trouble. At the center of the chamber was a large crystal, a prism that sat in the middle of four other red crystals that emitted enough heat to make the room feel like the inside of a volcano.

 Sara did a quick optical scan of the crystals and saw that they held massive amounts of energy, probably to power the pyramid’s beam. She deduced that the red crystals provided the heat for the beam, while the prism converted that heat into plasma and channeled it through the ruby-quartz lens that filled the iris of the eye on the outside, focusing the beam on a specific target. Seeing that there was no one here, she figured that the whole process was entirely autonomous, which made their jobs much easier.

 “Destroy the instruments and shatter the lenses,” Sara ordered. Her hands shifted back into weapon mode. “I will destroy the crystal.”

 Centurion didn’t waste a second. He leapt forward and began hacking and slashing at anything that looked important, leaving sparkling and exploding consoles in his wake. He stabbed the omni-saber into one of the generators and jumped back as the machine exploded, causing a chain reaction that spread to the other machinery as well. Finally, he looked at the contraption that was holding one of the red crystals aloft. Pointing the sword at it, he let go of the hilt and the omni-saber flew from his grip, shooting at the device and stabbing into it with ease. The machine exploded and the red crystal wobbled in the air before falling to the floor, shattering and exploding in a burst of flames that nearly engulfed Centurion had he not jumped away in time. The omni-saber returned to his hand, though it was a little blackened from the flames.

 Sara stood in front of the crystal array and waited for the flames to die down before she began shooting at the main crystal in the center. Her laser blasts hit the crystal with enough force to start chipping off fragments with each hit, but the energy was still being collected into the prism. Seeing that she wasn’t doing much damage, Sara adjusted the energy output on her blaster, and fired again, this time releasing a steady beam of photon energy. Her assault on the crystal soon began to charge it up, far past the capacity that it could manage, and bolts of energy began lancing from its reflective surface.

 She didn’t stop her assault until one of the bolts hit the spot right next to her, sending shards of metal over her body. Centurion had to grab her around the waist to pull her away as the crystals began to go critical and were set to explode. Centurion hefted both android and sword onto his shoulders and sprinted for the nearest opening he could find-not the door, but the glass lens behind the eye. He lunged forward and smashed headfirst through the lens and fell to the ground 3 feet below him. Back inside, the crystals reach critical mass and one after the other, they exploded in a brilliant flash of light

XXXXXX

 The obelisk exploded in a massive pillar of flames that outshone any light in the area. The structure broke apart, shattering into a million pieces and forced the two factions to break apart and retreat as the explosion grew in size. The obelisk was completely obliterated and the tower of flames roared furiously as it reached a few miles into the sky.

 “Wow,” Jazz whistled. “That’s one for the scrapbook.”

“Bulkhead, I hope you took some snapshots of this, or I’m going to be very cross with you!” Annie yelled over the roaring flames.

 It wasn’t long before the shock of the exploding obelisk tapered off and everyone was reminded of the ongoing war currently going on. Megatron was the first to snap back into action, charging straight into Optimus and sending them both rolling down the hill, punching and kicking. Optimus kicked him off and raised his battle blade.

 “Don’t get mad at me because the universe saw fit to give you your due punishment, Megatron.” Optimus said. “You had this coming.”

 “Don’t act all high and mighty, Prime.” Megatron sneered. “Sooner or later, those humans will turn their backs on you and shoot you down just like they tried to do me. You call me a fool, but at least I know who my enemies are!”

 “That’s a funny thing to say, considering the number of times Starscream has blatantly insulted and schemed against you.” Optimus replied. “How long will it be before you soldiers realize that you’ve practically given Starscream more chances than anyone in Decepticon history?”

 “Silence!” Megatron raised his fusion cannon at Prime. “This island will be your grave, Prime. I’ll make sure of that!”

 Before any shots could be fired, the entire area was suddenly encased in a powerful pressure that came down on everyone. Optimus and Megatron staggered as they were sent reeling by the intense atmosphere that just came down on them. Someone was exerting their power on them, and whoever it was, it was something very powerful. Then they heard the voice.

 **“Yes,”** A booming voice bellowed. **”This island will be your grave! For all of you!”**

“Who said that?” Megatron asked, looking around. “Answer me! I demand to know who dares to interrupt my fight!”

 **“You are in no position to be making demands of me, mortal.”** The entity growled. Everyone could literally feel the malice leaking from its voice. **“I am a god. I provided a paradise for the wayward souls who strayed into my land-my Eden. And yet your first inclination is to wage war on my sacred grounds. I expected nothing less from the savage beings who killed my kin!”**

“Who killed…” Optimus’ eyes went wide. “You mean Michael’s group?”

**“Them and Gabriel and her sisters, all slaughtered by you and your slaves!”**

“Who the hell is he calling slaves?” Ironhide grumbled.

 “If you want to argue with the disembodied voice, be my guest. I’m not getting into this.” Bulkhead said.

 “So you are the one who commands those witches.” Megatron said and smirked. He knew there were more of those monsters lurking about on this rock. “I’ve been waiting to meet you face to face. I wanted to thank you for all the trouble your little songbirds gave my lieutenants and I.”

**“Oh I’m sure you will. But that will never happen, for you all need to repent for the sins you have caused on my world.”**

“Whatever we did to offend you, it wasn’t by choice. And neither was our arrival on this world.” Optimus said, making sure that Megatron didn’t say anything to enrage the owner of the mysterious voice. “We meant no harm to this world or its populace. But the question still stands-who are you?”

 There was no reply. The voice did not answer, and silence filled the area, which was a great reprieve for the Autobots and Decepticons. Then Optimus doubled over as the Matrix in his chest began to fill his body with a searing pain that felt as if he was being incinerated from the inside out. Before Megatron could ask what was going on, the ground began to tremble, and a pillar of fire erupted from the spot the obelisk was just in.

 The flames burned with such intensity that the Autobots and Decepticons were forced to back away from the towering inferno. Centurion himself was barely able to get away in time with the omni-saber and Sara in tow. Optimus and Megatron stared up at the flames in shock and awe as they began to twist in on itself like a tornado. Then they saw a massive form appear within the flames itself. There was a mighty roar and the flames were blasted from existence like they were nothing more than smoke-and that was when the bots saw their “host”. 

 It was a large, two headed dragon, but not one that was ever seen by human eyes. This beast was almost as large as an Omega Sentinel back on Cybertron, with skin as smooth as stone and a large round body that had two muscular legs and two long necks that extended into a pair of gold dragon heads. The heads had no eyes, just small jewels where the eyes would be-the left head had eyes of sapphire and the right head had eyes of rubies. On its rotund torso was a human face made of stone, a face that sat upside-down on its chest. Large wings kept it up in the air and had no trouble keeping the dragon aloft as its face glared down at the bots and humans.

 **“I am Fortitudo,”** The entity spoke, its face speaking in an ancient language that was automatically translated for the bots and humans. **“Cardinal Virtue of Fortitude and lord sovereign of the western lands.”** It landed on the ground, making it shake, and stalked towards its prey with growing rage mounting in its voice. **“Humanity feared the darkness, so we gave you light. You begged us for blood, and we gave you war. I gave you a paradise, and you squandered it worshipping false gods. Now you spurn my council? You will learn your place!”**

Fortitude opened his two dragon heads and they both released twin streams of fire and ice. The Autobots and Decepticons scattered as the land was turned into a blazing inferno and a frozen wasteland in equal measure. The once beautiful plains and fields were destroyed, razed and uprooted for miles in a single strike. Optimus and Megatron both drew their weapons and ordered their teams to fire upon the Cardinal.

 “Autobots attack!”

 “Decepticons, destroy that beast!”

 Both sides opened fire on Fortitudo, unleashing a crippling barrage of lasers, missiles, and photon charges on their shared enemy. Past grudges could wait, this was a matter of survival. But as expected, their attacks did little to damage the creature, only make him angrier. Fortitude roared and its sapphire head fired another shot stream of ice that hit the ground and caused an avalanche of towering spikes to erupt from the ground. Both Autobots and Decepticons were quick to avoid getting impaled, with the flyers taking to the air and flying towards the beast.

 “We need to hit it with everything we’ve got!” Skyfire said. “But don’t get to close or it’ll pick you out of the sky before you can blink!”

 “I don’t take orders from you!” Starscream hissed, but he followed the warning nonetheless.

The jets flew in and fired their missiles at once, hitting the Cardinal in the face, and while he gave a grunt of pain, these missiles didn’t even stagger him. His ruby dragon head shot up and fired a fireball that almost roasted the Seekers. Skyfire continued to fly circles around Fortitudo, firing her laser Gatling gun, but on her own, she barely dealt any damage.

“ **Pathetic!”** Fortitudo sneered. With surprising quickness, he swung his body around and smacked Skyfire out of the air with his tail.

 Skyfire went falling towards the ground and crashed into a hill, knocked offline immediately. Nightshade flew around the two dragon heads, avoiding their snapping jaws and firing arrows from Gandiva. She was satisfied to see that they were actually doing damage to him, but it seemed that Fortitudo was smart enough not to be a sitting target for her. He kept snapping his jaws at her, shooting jets of fire and ice, not giving her even a second to breath lest she get incinerated and frozen solid in equal measure. Optimus noticed this and formulated a plan.

 “Megatron,” He said. “I know you don’t entertain the idea of working together but we must-“

 “Spare me the monologue Prime, I know what to do.” Megatron said, looking up at the creature. “You stay out of my way and let a real warrior do his job. There is no beast on this planet that can stand up to my might.”

 “Except for that dragon that beat you into the ground.” Optimus noted, gaining a glare from Megatron. Optimus drew his ion cannon while Megatron increased the power output in his fusion cannon. “Would you like to do the honors?”

The plasma beam that he fired was much strong than what his usual blasts. This was because he changed the rate of fire from its average blasts into a continuous beam that was enhanced by Megatron’s Powerlink with Leader-1. Fortitudo was facing forward when the beam hit him right in the spot where his two heads met the torso. The Cardinal grunted as he felt the pain and spun around to face Optimus and Megatron.

 **“So the warlords finally decide to join the slaughter.”** Fortitudo said, ignoring the lasers and missiles pelting his form as he stomped towards them. “ **I’ve been waiting to see what makes you so special Optimus Prime. Why you carry such a great power within you-the power of our beloved Oracle.”**

“Oracle?” Optimus muttered.

**“But that curiosity can wait. After I kill you and the others, I shall bring your corpse to my brothers and we shall answer that question together.”**

“Don’t bother, Prime is mine to kill!” Megatron shouted and fired another shot at Fortitudo.

 The beam hit Fotitudo, but he dodged it at the last second, letting it graze his side before replying, **“You make it seem like I am giving you a choice. Now be a good toy soldier and die for me!”**

Optimus and Megatron transformed and drove away as Fortitudo fired its dual fire/ice streams at them, ravaging the landscape once more in its pursuit of the two leaders. All the while the Autobots and Decepticons continued to fire everything they got at him.

XXXXXX

“Bulkhead, put us down!” Annie yelled.

 “Not this time, Annie.” Bulkhead said.

 The green Autobot dumped Darren and Annie’s Talos at the foot of a hill far from the battle, while Arcee did the same with the Athena. A slightly burnt Centurion also followed them with the Omni-saber and Sara with him.

 “Why can’t we fight? We can help.” Gina said.

 “It’s too dangerous.” Arcee said. “You three just got into those machines and you aren’t ready to heavy combat like this yet. Just hang back and don’t get fried.”

 “Or frozen into a popsicle” Bulkhead said.

 Annie glared at her friend through her monitor, and somehow, Bulkhead was able to sense the hostility that she was sending towards him and quickly made his way back to the battle. Arcee looked at the kids one last time before following after Bulkhead. Annie kicked her foot pedals and screamed.

 “Even after we’ve got kick ass mechs, they still treat us like kids!” She yelled.

 “Annie, we are kids.” Darren said.

 “Shut up, you know what I mean.” Annie jumped as she saw another explosion in the distance. “They can’t beat that thing. It’s too strong.”

 “You’re right, they can’t beat it,” Gina said. “But that doesn’t mean that it’s unbeatable, just extremely strong and durable.”

 “Do you have any ideas?” Centurion asked.

“Maybe we need to fight this thing the smart way. Like how OZ can handle fighting the Bots and Cons. Not through brute strength but by using their brains in conjunction with what they know about their enemy,” Gina explained. “Namely where to hit.”

 “A weak point,” Darren said. He thought of how OZ fought Cybertronians in the past, how they treated fighting the Autobots like fighting tanks-using heavy artillery and attacking weak points along their metal forms. “Okay I see what you mean, but how do you fight a two headed dragon thing that shoots fire and ice at anything that moves?”

 “By hitting a single point with enough firepower to do damage.” Sara said. “I may have found a target that can cripple Fortitudo, Ms. Gina.”

Gina saw Sara upload a picture to the Athena’s monitor. It showed the spot where the sapphire head was hit by Megatron’s fusion cannon. The stone around the spot where its neck met its torso was burned and sizzling, with a large, deep gash that looked painful.

 “Whoa, hold up,” Annie said. “You want us to shoot at that one spot, which doesn’t even look bigger than a foot? That’s impossible!”

“Not with your talos’ targeting systems. Let the computer do the rest, all you have to do is fire.” Sara replied. “Our only concern is getting close enough to fire the shot, but that shouldn’t be a worry for you three.”

 “What do you mean?” Darren asked.

 “The sol particles released by the Apollo drive are capable of repelling matter in large quantities. Switch you talos to flight mode and the computer will handle the rest with my guidance.” Sara instructed. “But the only one with the necessary firepower is Ms. Gina.”

 “Me?! What could I do?” Gina squeaked. She didn’t sign up for this! Fighting Decepticons and fighting giant kaiju monsters were two totally different things!

  “Your Athena is equipped with a beam cannon that takes it power directly from the Athena’s solar reactor. It is the only thing powerful enough to blast into the creature’s hard skin aside from Megatron’s fusion cannon and Nightshade’s bow. With both occupied, it is up to you do the deed.” Sara said. As Gina pondered the implications of what that meant for her, the android looked at the Prometheus. “In order to give Ms. Gina a chance to fire the shot, we will require a distraction. That is where you two come in, Darren and Annie.”

XXXXXX

 Fortitutdo relentlessly chased Optimus and Megatron, shooting massive fireballs and that left smoking craters in the ground and ice balls that would crush them underneath if they were hit. Megatron continued to fire his fusion cannon back at the beast, but his constant dodging made it hard to do. Nightshade and the Seekers chased Fortitudo attacking its heads without much success.

“Starscream, I can’t keep this up much longer!” Skywarp said. “I’m about to run out of ammo!”

 “Then use your proton cannons, you fool! Our survival is at stake here!” Starscream yelled back.

 “Would you both just shut up and shoot!” Nightshade yelled at them.

 Fortitude, finally having enough of the pests that were swarming over him, spun his ruby head around and shot a burst of flames at them. The Cons dodged the blast and Nightshade shot an arrow at the dragon head, hitting it in the jaw dead center. Fortitude groaned in pain as he felt the ethereal weapon actually hurt his supposedly invulnerable stone hide, and his statuesque face glared at Nightshade.

Down below, Optimus and Megatron took the chance to shoot at Fortitudo, not at his body, but at his feet. Though just as diamond hard as the rest of his body, his legs weren’t that durable enough to withstand a combined onslaught of ion blasts and plasma beams weathering away at his short legs. Fortitudo growled and swerved his sapphire head around to shoot more ice at the two leaders, but Nightshade circled around to his head to fire Gandiva at his face. The arrow she released gave a deafening boom as she let it loose and watched with grim satisfaction as Fortitudo stumbled back in pain.

 **“Enough of this!”** Fortitudo bellowed and opened his mouth wide. Spinning his body around, he fired a large ball of energy from his body at Optimus and Megatron, who made to run from the attack.

 “Jump!” Optimus yelled.

 Both he and Megatron jumped into the crevice just as the energy ball hit the ground and detonated in a large explosion that made the entire island tremble. Autobots and Decepticons alike watched in awe and some in fear as Fortitudo weathered through everything they had thrown at him. They were tired, exhausted and the reality of the situation was catching up to them. They were not winning this battle.

 “That thing takes our attacks like they were nothing.” Bumblebee said. “How can we beat something like that?”

 “We hit them harder kid, that’s all.” Ironhide said. Barricade scoffed.

 “Like that’s done us any good you old scrapheap.” Barricade sneered. Ironhide grabbed him and pulled him in close.

 “You wanna say that to my face?” He growled.

 “Stop it!” Arcee pushed them apart. “This isn’t the time to be doing this! We need another plan that doesn’t involve wasting ammo on that thing’s skin.”

“If you have any ideas, we’re open for suggestions, honey.” Flamewar growled. Arcee was about to tell her ex-lover to shut up when Wheeljack pointed something out.

 “What’s that?” He asked, pointing at the sky. 

 Arcee looked up to where Wheeljack was pointing. She saw three trails of green light shooting through the air at speeds that almost matched Skyfire’s. Arcee magnified her optical vision and saw that the three points of light were in fact three talos-the Omega Talos.

 “What are they doing?” Prowl asked. Since when were Talos able to fly? Those machines did not look aerodynamic at all. “Don’t tell me that they actually plan on fighting that thing by themselves.”

 “Knowing those brats, they probably have a plan in mind.” Ironhide said mildly. He looked at his fellow Autobots. “Let’s give them a hand and see what they’re up to.”

 Prowl and Arcee glanced at each other, but nodded all the same. For once, they’ll have to put their faith in the kids once more.

XXXXXX

 Darren had his control sticks in a death grip as he felt the cockpit shake from the intense winds pushing against Prometheus. He was still struggling to believe that he was piloting a flying talos. By rights, such a thing shouldn’t be possible given that talos were not made to fly at all, let alone at high speeds or altitudes. Technically, Sara defined it as hovering and using the talos’ backpack thrusters to maneuver through the air. According to her, high quantities of sol particles were capable of not only repelling gravity, but also lifting the talos into the air. He was still skeptical of how long this thing could last in the air, but as long as he didn’t do any fancy moves, he was fine.

 He steeled himself as he and Annie came up on Fortitudo. The giant beast was still unleashing his power on the cybertronians below him, and paid no attention to the flyers zipping around his heads like flies. Darren could see the area where Megatron’s fusion cannon had left a deep scar right under the ice dragon’s neck, but with how much the creature was moving, he wondered how Gina was going to get a shot in.

 “Don’t worry about it, Darren.” Annie said on their radio channel. She sounded confident, but Darren could hear the nervousness in her voice. “Just stick to the plan and everything’s gonna be all right.”

 “Easy for you to say,” Darren grumbled. “You’re not playing decoy.”

 “We’re all going to get bragging rights for saving the Autobots, bro. That’s what really matters, right?”

 “Yeah,” Darren rolled his eyes. “That’s what matters.”

 “Good, now eyes up front. Puff the Magic Dragon is giving us the stink eye.”

 Darren faced forward and felt his anxiety raise as the two headed dragon faced them. The twins split up, with Annie flying at Optimus while Darren kept Fortitudo’s attention on him. Seeing how intently the dragon kept his eyes on him, he figured he was doing something right as decoy. Raising his talos’ arms, he channeled his telekinesis through his machine into the outside world.

 Sara didn’t go into specifics, but she said that Prometheus was made specifically with Darren’s powers in mind. The cockpit was designed to channel and enhance his telekinesis through receptors layering the interior of the cockpit and the talos’ frame and could be channeled externally, allowing Darren to manipulate things from his cockpit. An added benefit was that his powers were stronger.

 Fortitudo was so focused on tracking the amalgam inside the talos, he didn’t notice the large stones pulled from the ground by a strong telekinetic force until they were thrown at him. This only caused mild discomfort, if anything, Fortitudo looked confused.

 **“Why do you fight me, child of man?”** Fortitudo asked. **“Why fight a being who has nurtured you kind since antiquity?”**

“Because you’re trying to kill my friends,” Darren replied. “Why do you think I’m doing this?”

 **“So they have corrupted your mind as well. Pity, you are indeed strong, young one. But,”** Fortitudo turned his body around to fully face Prometheus. **“I am stronger!”**

Fortitude began to release a deafening scream that sounded like drums pounding in Darren’s head. His arms froze in place, forcing Prometheus to stop its onslaught. It felt like every cell in his body was frozen over, and he began to panic as he felt his body stiffen in place. Fortitudo flapped his wings and went up towards the Prometheus, still unleashing his heavenly bellow. As he got closer, he opened his mouth wide and was about to swallow the Talos, pilot and all, entirely.

**“I will cleanse you of the taint they have place upon you, boy. And within me, you shall know who you have to thank for your gifts.”**

 “I’m not thanking some monster who thinks that he’s still relevant in the world.” Darren said, gritting his teeth. He forced his body to move, jerking his right joystick forward to move Prometheus’ right arm. “We’ve done fine without you lording over us, and we’ll still go one without you!”

The Prometheus raised its arm and fired its beam rifle, shooting the beam into Fortitudo’s gaping maw. The blast exploded against the beast’s insides, causing Fortitudo to recoil in pain. He fell back to the ground, smoke rising from his mouth. The twin dragon heads shot towards Darren, but he pulled his joysticks back and made his suit circle around the golden dragon heads that snapped at him. He fired his rifle again and this time he shot off a piece of the ruby dragon’s horns.

 “Gina shoot!” Darren shouted.

 From some unseen location, a large green beam came shooting through the air, and hit Fortitudo’s sapphire head-the dragon roared, but it’s cry was cut off as the entire length of its neck was blasted off the main body. The beam cannon’s attack had tore into the wound Megatron had left earlier, burning through the thick diamond hard skin and blasting the head and neck off in one shot. The severed head spun in the air before crashing to the ground with a loud boom, leaving a deep crevice in the earth where it fell. Gina saw the explosion and cheered.

 “Yes! Right on the first try!” Gina smiled. She couldn’t help but feel pumped. This was like being in a real life anime! If only the Omega Talos could combine, then her anime dreams of being in a super robot would come true!

 **“Ngh!”** Fortitudo grunted and let out an enraged growl and had his ruby dragon head charge up another flame attack. **“Blasphemers! I give you a paradise, a life to live under the rule of the true gods. And this is how you repay me? Burn forever in eternal hellfire!”**

“That’s not going to happen!”

 Enyo appeared above the dragon’s head, with Optimus hanging onto its arm. Annie let go of Prime and he fell towards the dragon’s head. He cocked his fist back and punched the golden crest on the dragon with enough force to push its head down and deflect the flames to the ground away from Darren and Gina. Optimus slid down its neck and jumped onto the main body, shooting his ion cannon at the base of the neck. Fortitudo thrashed his body around, trying to shake Optimus off him, but then he got shot in the face from Annie’s beam bazooka.

“How do you like us now?” She taunted. “Not so strong now that we’re-oh shit!”

 The dragon head slammed into Enyo and sent the Talos shooting through the air towards the ground in an out of control death spiral. Annie was cursing as she tried to get her machine upright, but the speed at which she was falling was too strong for her to even move. As she saw the ground fast approaching, Annie leaned far back in her seat and braced herself.

 To her surprise, her descent was stopped inches from the ground by an unseen force. Darren’s voice came through on the radio.

 “I got your back, sis.”

 Annie let out a shaky laugh. “Thanks, bro.” She looked up to see Optimus hacking away at the ice dragon’s neck. “Should we help him?”

 “I think Optimus has this one covered.” Darren said. “He’s got backup.”

 Megatron scowled as he stood on the back of Nightshade’s beast mode, using her as a platform to fly up to Fortitudo’s face. The Cardinal was thrashing his body around, yelling and growling savagely as he tried to dislodge the Prime hacking away at his last remaining dragon head without the least bit of restraint for his own safety. Seeing Optimus use every ounce of his immense strength to do the job, Megatron had to commend the Prime for the battle lust he was showing.

 **“No! I will not be beaten by invaders!”** Fortitudo shouted. His deep voice could be heard for miles and at this point in the battle, all those present were getting a headache every time he spoke. **“I am a god! This is my world!”**

“This world belongs to no being, man or god!” Optimus grunted as he stabbed his battle blade into the beast’s crystalline flesh. Then he pulled his blade through the stone as hard as he could, trying to sever the vital connections that kept the neck tethered to the body. “It belongs to all creatures born here! You’re just as much of an invader as me and Megatron!”

 **“Silence! I will not be culled by a machine who thinks he has a soul!”** Fortitudo fired more destructive energy blasts from his mouth without even looking at where he was shooting. **“Everything I did, it was for the will of my creator!”**

“Oh please,” Megatron snorted as Nightshade positioned him in front of Fortitudo’s face. He raised is fusion cannon. “At least die with some dignity.”

 Optimus let out a loud roar as he pulled his sword free in a mighty slash that also severed the granite hard tendons that kept the dragon head in place, sending the head falling to the earth. At the same time, Megatron fired his super-powered fusion cannon at the center of Fortitudo’s face-or rather his chin-and the beam gored a hole deep into the Cardinal’s flesh. The resulting explosion did even more damage to the entity’s internal structure and Fortitudo felt his body begin to fail him.

 “ **No…this cannot be…”** He lamented as his body descended to the ground. “ **My paradise…ruined…this is a disgrace that I will not accept!”**

“It doesn’t matter if you accept it or not,” Megatron said as he aimed for another shot. “Just shut up and die already.”

He fired another blast and this one blew a hole into the center of Fortitudo’s forehead. The Cardinal, beaten and broken, crashed to the ground as flames and powered dust flew from the stumps where his dragon heads used to be. Optimus jumped off and Darren caught him as he flew by, lowering Prime to the ground. Megatron and Nightshade joined him as the other cybertronians gathered around their leaders and watched the ancient being that nearly destroyed them succumb to his injuries.

 “ **Hehe,”** The dying Cardinal laughed softly, though it still made the ground rumble. “ **So in the, it is I who meets death today. No matter, my sacrifice will be a boon to the great creator, and enrich this sinful world with her radiance. Even in death, I win.”**

“Who is this creator?” Optimus asked. There were still so many questions that he needed answered. “What are you?”

 **“You have no idea of the events you have triggered today, aliens. You may have killed me, but more will come, and the entire Host will wipe your kind off the face of this world!”** Fortitudo said. **“You, who hold the power of the Oracle, our beloved Oracle…you will die. Maybe not today, but eventually death will come for all of you. This world is ours, its people are ours, and its heart…is hours…”**

As Fortitudo’s body began to crumble, he still had enough strength to give them one last laugh. **“May the creator, Jubileus, grace you…”**

His voice died out like a whisper in the wind as his body crumbled to dust and was blown away by the wind. Soon, all that was left of the Cardinal was a ravaged land of fire and ice it left in its wake.

 The Autobots and Decepticons stood around silently, trying to process what just happened, while the kids took the moment to recover from the most intense battle they were apart of-were actually a apart of-that nearly wiped them all out. Optimus looked at Megatron, both leaders covered in dirt, blackened armor and various dents and cuts from the near misses they had just minutes before. Then Optimus heard Ratchet’s voice ring into his comm-link.

heard Ratchet’s voice ring into his comm-link.

 “Ratchet?”

 “ _Optimus? Thank the Allspark I was able to reach you.”_ Ratchet sounded stressed, and with good reason to. “ _What’s going on over there? I just picked up a large energy signature over the computer. Are you alright?”_

“We’re all fine, Ratchet. Just exhausted,” Optimus looked at Megatron. “Unless someone would like to continue this pointless battle.”

Megatron glared at Prime. “No, Prime, we’ll continue this next time.” He turned his gaze onto Gina. “And you, girl. The next time I see you, I will make sure you have a most painful death at my hands. Make no mistake of that!”

 Anything else that could be said was cut short when the entire island began to shake.

 “For god’s sake, what now?” Bulkhead groaned.

 Optimus immediately knew what was going on. “The island is falling! Without Fortitudo’s influence, the island cannot keep itself in the air.”

 “We’re going to crash?!” Starscream yelled.

 “There’s no need to be frightened you coward!” Megatron sneered. “We each have our own methods of escape.” Megatron sent a signal back to the Nemesis and his team were caught in an orbital jump. “Until next time, Prime.”

“Autobots,” Optimus said, feeling the exhaustion catch up to him. “Let’s go home!”

 The Autobots wasted no time in leaving through the portal though Optimus was the last to leave. But before he stepped through the bridge, he ran over and picked up the red orb left behind by Fortitudo before running back to the ground bridge. It was probably the only thing that could answer what the Cardinal was, and he wasn’t going to let it get destroyed.

The island, known as Brigadoon, fell from the sky as if struck down by Gaia herself. Its descent was slow, as the ethereal forces the held it aloft for so long took its time to fade, unaided by the immense powers of Fortitudo. It crashed against a mountain hard enough to send cracks rippling through the island. The impact of such a large structure hitting the ground at the speeds it was falling at was tremendous, and the very earth trembled as the island finally crashed into the foot of a mountain, breaking apart like a colossal puzzle set and raining dirt, stone and-unbeknownst to the Autobots and Decepticons-crystal shards that were hidden within the depths of the island, fueled by Fortitudo’s power and used to provide lift and propulsion for the island as it flew across the frozen tundra.

 When the chaos had ended, there was nothing left of the island-or its master. But though Brigadoon was destroyed, the crystals that fueled its power still survived, and they sank into the earth, beneath the ice, where they were absorbed by another force that was buried deep within the planet itself.

 The Autobots and Decepticons won this battle by the mesh of their teeth. But it wasn’t over. This was the beginning of something bigger.

XXXXXX

Megatron, Nightshade, Soundwave and the rest of the Decepticons stood around Lugnut’s body. It was still warm, even though the Spark had long since extinguished, but the body was starting to cool. The hole where the beam hit him had also cooled down, leaving a warped and twisted hole that stayed melted through his torso and Spark chamber. After they had returned to the Nemesis, Megatron had Lugnut’s body placed on a platform that sat over an ion fountain that emitted energies so intense that direct contact could vaporize a mechanoid’s body after long periods of contact. It was lethal for anyone else, but it was perfect for cremating a body.

“Lugnut was a dedicated warrior and a true Decepticon who was loyal not only to me, but to the cause we all share. Even after suffering the shame of being experimented on by humans, he still held true to his goals and didn’t stray from the path that he had taken, unlike some among us,” Megatron glared at Starscream. “But what happened today, was insulting. A human, an organic creature weaker and smaller than The Decepticons all muttered and grunted in agreement, but Nightshade stayed silent.

 “But let me be clear on one thing,” Megatron continued. “Until I say so, there will be no retaliation against the humans for the time being.” That didn’t sit well with the Cons, but their protests were silence by Megatron’s glare. “This is not the time to be going on a revenge quest for one child. We are fighting a war here, in case you idiots forgot.”

“But we aren’t going to let that girl get away with it, are we?” Nightshade hissed. She showed a rare form of anger-a calm anger that surpassed the savage rage that most would show. “This is a matter of Decepticon pride.”

Decepticon pride.”

 “Rest assured, Nightshade, the boy will not live to enjoy his victory. He will die, but on our terms and by our hand.” Megatron nodded to Soundwave, who got to work on activating the platform. “You can be sure about that.”

 Nightshade said nothing as she watched the ion charges engulf Lugnut’s body and begin to eat away at his corpse. It was a warrior’s funeral, cremating the body so that he would have an easier travel to the afterlife. Megatron stood beside her, and relished in her rage. Lugnut was a rare breed of Decepticon, one that was absolutely loyal to him without question or hidden agendas. He meant what he said about making sure the boy paid for this insult.

 No one killed a Decepticon and expected to escape retribution. Be they Autobot or human.

XXXXXX

 Ratchet was hard at work repairing the damages the Autobots had suffered at Brigadoon. Thankfully, there were not severe injuries, but he wanted to be sure that everyone was at 100 percent within the hour. The Minicons were greeting the new addition to their number, the Air Defense Team, who were already in the process of giving Sparkplug a headache with their incessant chatter. Meanwhile Jazz and Wheeljack were checking out the Omega Talos that the kids brought back along with them.

 “This is certainly a work of art.” Wheeljack said as he studied the Prometheus. “Whoever made these suits was sure to make them as easy as possible for the kids to pilot them, yet they move ore fluidly than even OZ’s suits. Truly outstanding.”

 “Careful, Jackie. You’re drooling.” Jazz grinned.

 “Shut up, Jazz.” Wheeljack looked down at Sara, who watched over the Talos like a guardian robot. “Are you sure that you don’t want to tell us who made them? I promise I won’t say a word.”

 “I am not obligated to feed your curiosity.

 At the side, the kids were being scolded by their Autobot friends.

 “I thought we told you three to stay put.” Bulkhead said.

 “Like we were going to sit on the sidelines and watch you guys get your asses beat by a giant two headed dragon.” Annie rolled her eyes. “How have you not seen that coming already? We’ve known you guys for three months!”

 “Seriously, Annie, what you did was dangerous. You could’ve been killed.” Arcee said.

 “But they did kind of save Optimus’ life. That shot you took was perfect, Gina.” Bumblebee praised.

“Thanks.” Gina smiled.

 “Praise is the last thing these children deserve, Bumblebee.” Prowl walked up to them with a less than pleased expression. “You can’t keep letting them off the hook whenever they do something on their own. You three running off started all this.”

“Fuck off, Prowl. We just saved your life!” Annie scowled. Prowl scowled right back.

  “After you put the lives of your friends and the Minicons in jeopardy.” He replied. “I don’t know if you’ve forgotten this, but we’re in the middle of a war. This isn’t some scavenger hunt, or a videogame. The threat of dying is real, but you seem keen on putting Autobot, Minicon and human lives at risk to satiate your craving to violence and excitement. And what’s more, now that Gina has killed a Decepticon, Megatron will be even more determined to come after you for retribution. Have any of you thought of that?”

 Prowl’s triad had made everyone go silent. Annie, who normally didn’t take any crap from Prowl, couldn’t deny that he was right. It was her fault that they were sent to the island in the first place. Not to mention nearly getting herself and her friends killed before the Autobots even arrived on Brigadoon.

 “We’re fighting a war here that could decide the fate of not just your world, but thousands of others,” Prowl continued. “We don’t have time to keep babysitting you every time something major happens. I said it once, and I’ll say it again, you three are liabilities.”

“That’s enough Prowl.” Optimus entered the room, fully healed from his time in the CR chamber. “That is no way to talk to members of our team.”

 “Members?” Darren echoed.

 “These children may get into trouble too often than I would like, but they do not take these risks lightly. They know what they’re getting into, and the dangers involved. The incident with D-Va was evidence enough of that.” Optimus said. “And you three were a great help in the battle against Fortitudo. For that, and saving my life, I thank you.”

 The kids smiled, but Optimus held up a hand to stop them before they thought they were not in trouble.

 “That being said, it would be nice for you three not to willingly run into danger anymore. You are my responsibility now, and I promised Debbie to take care of you whenever you are in my care. You have made enemies of the Decepticons now, and they will be out for blood.” He said. “Understood?”

 “Yes Optimus.” They said.

 “Prime,” Prowl glared at Optimus. “You can’t just let this go again. Their recklessness almost got us all killed. Not to mention they brought in an unknown element into the Ark.”

 “Look, it’s my fault, not there’s.” Annie said, gaining their attention. “Darren and Gina were just trying to drag me back before everything went to hell. If you want to punish anyone, it should be me.”

Optimus looked down at the girl and got on one knee. “Annie, what you’ve been through is punishment enough. We’re just glad that you’re safe.”

 “I second that.” Bulkhead smiled.

 Annie smiled at them both and nodded. “Thanks a lot.”

 Gina looked at the three Talos standing in the corner. “Um, what about our Talos? Can we still keep them?”

 Optimus shared a look with Prowl, who huffed and turned to walk down the corridor. Prime sighed and looked back at Gina. “Since Sara looks like she is about to attack anyone who gets too close to those machines, I will allow you three to keep them-on the condition that they are only used on missions of my choosing. Use them in self defense, not as weapons of war.”

 “You got it, Prime!” Gina smiled. She ran over to Darren and pulled him over to their newly acquired machines.

 Optimus watched the kids gather around the Talos and felt relief wash over him. Everyone was safe and sound with no serious injuries. And they even scored a minor, but significant, victory over the Decepticons-though Optimus would’ve preferred that Gina was not the one to kill Lugnut. Killing was something that stayed with a person for a lifetime, and it eventually comes back to haunt you in some shape or form.

 Still, he learned a great deal about their new enemy today. Terra was home to more than one sentient race, a species from the stars who were extremely powerful. What were these creatures, why did they label themselves as gods? Did they have a hand in mankind’s evolution? What about the Matrix interested them so? Optimus had a feeling he was going to be at the heart of this, and he knew that it was going to cause some trouble for the cybertronian race in the long run.

 These were pressing concerns, but at the moment, Optimus was content with just worrying about the present. There was still a war going on, and the Decepticons will not take the death of their own lying down. They may have won the battle, but the War for Terra still goes on-and the Autobots were ready for anything that had the unfortunate fate of trying to pick a fight with them.

 

 


	27. Circuit Breaker

Chapter 26-Circuit Breaker

 Harold the night guard flinched as another lightning bolt raced across the sky, followed by a loud rumble that made him jump yet again. He whimpered pathetically as he walked down the long, empty hallways that made up the facility he was guarding on his nightshift. Sure, acting as a security guard for Horizon Labs, one of the biggest companies in the field of civilian robotics, was a good paying job, but this place was just creepy at night. It was much different than in the daytime, when the place is full of people and moving machinery. Without anyone to fill its halls, to give it a sense of life, the building itself almost felt dead.

 Harold questioned why this place even needed a security guard in the first place, seeing as the building itself was outfitted with some of the most advanced security systems on the market; motion sensors, infrared beams, security cameras employing a constantly changing encryption code to avoid getting hacked, automated turrets mounted in front of the more sensitive areas of the lab. It was a bit extreme, but considering more and more amalgams were popping up every week with hostile intentions towards humanity, no one could be too careful these days.

 Speaking of intruders, a quick stop by the security room following a bathroom break showed that there was someone on the fourth floor who had tripped the pressure sensors but not the alarms somehow. He had his gun out and slowly made his way to where the intruder was, looking into each room for any signs of life. There had to be a crook somewhere, there was only one way in.

 “Really, is there anyone here at all?” Harold sighed. “I swear, is that stupid thing on the fritz again?”

 “No, I’d say its working fine.” A woman’s voice said.

 Harold yelped and spun around to see a young woman standing in the doorway. She was a young thing, with strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes, clad in a suit made of metal strips that hugged her ample curves lovingly as she smirked playfully at him. Harold raised his gun, but it exploded in his hands before he was hit in the chest by a lightning bolt that blew him into the wall. Hitting the wall with bone crushing force, Harold crumpled to the floor, dead before he even hit the wall.

 “Can’t say the same for you, though.” The woman grinned.

XXXXXX

 Sara was never one for reading. She only downloaded information directly into her cyberbrain and learned things instantly as though they had always been within her mind from the beginning. And her ‘mother’ had taught her about literature and its meaning to humans and aliens alike. She still didn’t understand it, but her ‘mother’ had said that it wasn’t something that you could understand by downloading it at the speed of thought, but something you could only truly get by reading the meaning of the eloquent words between the lines. Sara did that to, and she couldn’t see anything between the lines other than what was written.

So she tried another approach, watching a play based on this literature she was told of. She sat on the side, watching her human-friends?- companions reenact a play based on a famous playwright while the Minicons watched from the sidelines with Annie and Kevin. From what Sara could tell, things were not going as planned.

 “Tis maiden’s heart is honest, my lord.” Gina said passionately. “Tis not the answer to thy question?”

 “The answer it is,” Darren said. “I fear though whether ‘tis thy truly love or lust.”

 “My lord?”

 “A fair maiden are ye. Honest, warm and caring. Yet m’father a nobleman he is. Many tried to betrothed me for his wealth alone. Does the maiden swear, with all her heart, true love and nothing but love?” He continued.

 “I...I…oh stop it, Darren. This is stupid.” Gina huffed with a red face. Darren played his part very well, and it was starting to get to her. “This is embarrassing. How can people read this?”

 “It’s Shakespeare, Gina. It’s a modern classic.” Kevin said. “You’ll find that it is a lot different from the manga you read at home.”

“Well I think it’s unrealistic. Romeo and Juliet are hormonal teenagers with only one thing on their minds.” The blonde said.

 “When you turn sixteen, Gina, you’ll be like that too. Just give it some time for mother nature to kick you clock into gear.” Annie grinned. She was already imagining Gina staking her claim on Darren, making sure the other girls didn’t try to sink their claws into him. That was cool with Annie; better her best friend than some skank trying to one up her brother.

 “Is this what 20th century literature is like?” Sara asked.

“No, this is much older. But it’s so famous that its withstood the test of time and people still read it even now.” Kevin said. “It’s what we humans call a classic.”

 “A classic.” Sara repeated. Gina had told this once but that was a long time ago. “Are all classics just like this one?”

 “Only those done by Shakespeare.” Darren answered. “They’re a bit hard to understand, and to act out. Took me an hour to memorize this line.”

 “And it takes months for others to memorize a single scene.” Gina said.

 “I don’t think it’s that bad.” Grindor said. “It’s kind of sad actually.”

 “And romantic. We don’t get stuff like this back on Cybertron. Or we did, but it faded out of practice over time.” Sureshock said. “I think the bots from Harmonex still did plays, though they were really hush hush about what they were doing to outsiders.”

 “Sounds a bit shifty.” Kevin said.

 “Those guys were always shifty… and snooty… and pompous.” Grindor replied. “Not surprising considering Knockout was born there.”

“Really?” Annie said interested. “No foolin’!”

There was a knock on the door and it slid open to reveal Jazz, who was giving them little people his trademark grin. “Hello there, friends, family…Road Storm.”

 “Get fragged.”

 “Hey Jazz, what’s up?” Annie asked.

 “Did you guys forget?” Jazz questioned. “It’s time for your training session.”

The kids let out a collective groan. Optimus was gracious enough to allow them to keep the talos they brought back from Brigadoon as theirs, despite Prowl’s avid protests, but only on the condition that they practice daily with them to properly learn how to pilot them. They were still novices at operating a talos, but they were quickly getting the hang of the basic controls of their mecha. Jazz took up the role as their personal trainer, along with Sara, acting as their opponent during mock battles where they had to fight him in their talos. He won every time, but at least they now lasted more than five minutes against him, so that was a victor.

 Once they kids went to get their specially made pilot suits (courtesy of Wheeljack), Optimus and Sparkplug were having a conversation of their own about recent events that had them worried.

 “Optimus, this is the fourth robbery this month. Someone’s targeting those research facilities and are not afraid to leave a pile of bodies behind.” Sparkplug said. He brought up a list of the places that were hit on the computer and pointed them out. “Each of them were hit hard, with many of their top secret tech developed for the military stolen, and everything else was left behind.”

 “Do you think it’s the Decepticons?” Optimus asked.

 “I thought that, and I figured it might be Leader-1’s work since he’s known for leaving behind a trail of carnage in his wake, but these robberies are too clean for even Soundwave to be a factor.” Sparkplug replied. “And there’s also the murder of any possible witnesses, many had severe burns likened to a serious electrical burn that stops the human body’s functions in seconds. But get this; a guard who managed to survive an encounter reported seeing a woman shooting lightning to kill a few guards at Dynamic Ultra.”

 “Then it’s possibly an amalgam, there are some amalgams with powers that fit that description.”

 “Yeah, but he also said that the woman was wearing a high-tech suit that seemed to be the source of her powers.”

 “A high-tech suit?” Optimus muttered. “There are no public records of the military even having experimental technology such as that.”

 “But I can think of some…unofficial groups that come to mind.” Sparkplug said.

 “OZ,” Optimus grumbled in his chest. “It seems their possession of your proto-cube to good use.”

 “Don’t remind me.” Sparkplug growled.

 The Minicons’ proto-cube was a cubical mass of sentio metallico harvested from Cybertron and its moons to provide the necessary materials for Sparkless protoforms called blanks, in the off chance anyone onboard the Exodus suddenly started budding. During their first meeting with OZ, the Autobots had seemingly stopped them from stealing the proto-cubes and chased them off. However, it wasn’t until they returned to the Ark that Sparkplug learned that three of the four cubes were present and realized too late that OZ might have one of them. It was the first time anyone had seen Sparkplug unleash so many curse words in a single moment.

 “According to the information that Annie and Kevin got from one of the Zodiac, these companies are also groups that refused to cooperate with OZ in the past.” Optimus said.

 “Do you think this is some revenge operation?” Sparkplug asked.

 “I doubt they would be so petty, but considering how little we know about OZ, there’s only one way to really find out.” Optimus stood up and pressed a button on the terminal. “Teletran, have Arcee, Jazz and Wheeljack meet me in the shuttle bay. Also, calculate the most likely target that OZ will hit next.”

 “Do you have something in mind.”

 “In a sense.” Optimus said cryptically, and that was all Sparkplug got out of him.

XXXXXX

 Hybrid Technologies was one of Osea’s leading companies in civilian robotics. In addition to developing talos for construction companies and police forces, they also sought to adapt talos technology to increase personal robotics, such as AI and prosthetic limbs. They let other companies cater to the military in making bigger and meaner war machines, they ruled the field where it really counted-the people.

 For a company that inspired hope and perseverance, the sight the Autobot strike team came upon was anything but optimistic. Ironhide and his team of Jazz, Arcee and Wheeljack exited the ground bridge into HyTech’s production facility and were greeted by what looked like a warzone. Something had barreled through the front doors, leaving burn marks and two dead guards on the ground.

 “They were electrocuted.” Wheeljack said upon studying the bodies. “Heart failure, most likely, and they were electrocuted so strongly that their skin’s burnt.”

 Ironhide scowled and raised his blasters-he couldn’t bring his usual dual cannon system out of fear of collateral damage (Prowl’s words, not his). “Split up and keep your eyes open. See if we can find any evidence as to what they stole.”

The team split up, each taking a corner of the facility for themselves to explore. They had no solid lead on what OZ even wanted (if it was them in the first place), and they were going in blind without knowing what weapon they were facing. Technology think tanks had a long list of things OZ wanted, so it was touch to narrow down the search.

 After fifteen minutes of searching, Ironhide called his team. “ _You guys find anything yet_?”

“ _Nothing on my end_.” Wheeljack answered. “ _Considering how messed up the front doors are, I thought that there would be more destruction, but it looks clean over here_.”

_“Arcee?”_

 Arcee crawled through a hole in the wall near the rear entrance and saw that the walls leading to the storage area were blasted open, with jagged gouges in the smooth floor and brownish-black scorch marks marring the walls. Much of the equipment in the storage area looked like they were hit by something hot, like fire-or electricity. And yet, it didn’t seem like the usual stealth tactics that OZ typically employed when doing these kinds of operations.

 “Nothing on my end either, but the storage area looks like it was hit by a lightning storm.” She reported. “They’re scorch marks everywhere and the equipment here looks like they were overcharged.”

 “ _Wheeljack, head over to her position and check out the damage. See what you can find.”_ Ironhide ordered.

 “ _On it.”_

_“Jazz, what about you?”_

Jazz had grappled to the upper floors and was making his way through the large halls, thankful that the building was just large enough for him to crouch through. He wasn’t anywhere near the areas that were hit. He was looking for something you couldn’t see with the naked eye, something invisible. Having switched his visor to infrared, Jazz had detected a trail of electromagnetic energy that permeated much of the facility, but led to the upper floors. Large amounts of it had been found both in and out of the building and he thought that it was just the lead he needed to see what had went down here.

“ _Don’t go radio silent on me Jazz, what did you find?”_

“I’m detecting a lot of electromagnetic energy all over the place. Sparkplug was right on the money when he said that high amounts of electricity was involved.” Jazz said. “I’m following it now.”

Jazz hopped out the window and landed on the steel girders that supported a massive structure that was behind the facility. It was a large glass dome situated over a large field with trenches and bunkers-it looked like a warzone. Seeing that the EM trail was strongest here, Jazz used a small built-in laser to cut a hole through the glass and jump into the dome. He landed in a trench and frowned as he saw the muddy dirt cling to his polished leg armor.

 “I’m getting a bath after this is over. You would think that they would air this place out a little.” Jazz said and looked around. There was nothing here, but he did see what looked like pieces of burnt armor scattered along the ground. They were black, and hard to see in the dark, even with his advance night vision. “Now what went on here?”

Suddenly, all the lights in the dome switched on and the M4 Murphy talos came to life at once. There were a dozen of them, but they sported black armor and were more heavily armed than the standard Murphys used by the Army and Marines. The talos aimed their weapons at him and Jazz got ready to run.

 He grunted as the talos opened fire on him at once, firing armor piercing rounds from their shoulder cannons and machine guns. The Autobot performed a series of flips, ducking and dodging the numerous artillery that was sure to leave some serious dents in his armor. A few rounds caught him in the leg, almost tearing into his sensitive circuitry underneath.

 “Guys, I need some help here!” Jazz called his team, but got no replies. “Guys? Cee? Anyone hear-scrap!”

 A round caught him in the knee, stumbling him before another round shot his shoulder, sending bits of his armor flying off. He staggered a bit but kept dodging the best he could, looking for a way out. Facing the attacking talos, he took out his laser nunchucks and leapt at the machines, smashing the blunt weapons against the heads of the mecha. Despite being in close proximity, the other units still opened fire on him despite some of their own being in the line of fire.

 “Whoa!” Jazz ducked under a missile that blew apart the Murphy behind him. “What the hell, dude? That was your own…”

 Jazz went silent as he saw that there was no body in the burning mecha. The cockpit in the torso unit was completely empty. Jazz quickly charged at another Murphy, knocking it over and tearing open its hatch. Like the other one, this talos was unmanned as well.

 “Okay, this is getting weird.” Jazz muttered. He looked up and saw the remaining M4s start to surround him. “Looks like this is a good time to skedaddle!”

 Jazz hopped on a talos and used it to gain some leverage as he jumped up and grappled onto the hole he made to enter the dome. As he pulled himself up, he dropped a grenade down into the dome where the M4s were gathered, still shooting at him. He watched with satisfaction as the talos were blown up by the grenade, scattering their parts across the testing range.

 “Good riddance.” Jazz sighed and jumped back to the ground outside. “Let’s see if my comm’s still work-“

 Jazz shouted as a lightning bolt tore into his side and blew his left arm off, sending him to the ground. He groaned in pain as electricity surged through his body, feeling like he was on the verge of overloading. He weakly raised his head to look at his attacker and grunted.

 “H-Hide,” Jazz rasped, hoping that the others got his message. “It’s n-not the Cons at all. It’s-“

 Another bolt to the chest blasted him into a statue, smashing through it as he landed on his back and rolled to a stop. His body jerked and twitched a bit before his visor went dark and he went limp. His assailant stood over him, electricity crackling off her form as she lifted the Autobot’s arm in a magnetic field and left the area behind.

_“Jazz, you alright? Jazz, answer me, damn it!”_ Ironhide yelled over the comm.

_“Ironhide, what’s wrong?”_ Arcee asked.

_“I think Jazz’s in trouble. Head over to his position, now!”_

XXXXXX

 Arcee waited anxiously as she and the rest of the team waited for Ratchet to finish his diagnosis of Jazz’s unmoving body. The Autobot was in the CR chamber, his body carefully held within the tank as nanites worked on repairing his wounds. Ratchet ran some scans on him from the outside and frowned at the information he was getting.

 “Is he going to be okay, doc?” Annie asked worriedly.

 “That remains to be seen, but he’s not in any life threatening danger.” Ratchet said. “But whatever did this to him overloaded his circuits and sending him into stasis lock. His arm is the least of our worries, since I can replace that, though I can’t perform reconstruction surgery until his condition improves.”

 “What do you mean overloaded his circuits?” Ironhide asked gruffly.

 “As in he was electrocuted to the point that his body couldn’t handle any more energy and shut down to avoid permanent damage.” Ratchet explained. “This weapon probably emitted strong electrical discharges for the sole purpose of disabling or destroying electronics.”

 “But I got the tail end of Jazz’s last message. He said that it wasn’t the Cons.” Arcee said.

 “Which meant that he was referring to someone else.” Wheeljack said. “But who else could have something that’s strong enough to take out Jazz in a couple of seconds?”

 “Who else but the only other enemies on this world?” Prowl said, looming in the back of the room with a dark look on his face. “I think you can all figure out who that might be.”

XXXXXX

 Josie Beller sat in her seat watching the technicians check her suit over with a smile. As the technicians were hard at work in seeking out the kinks and cracks in her experimental suit, scientists were also poking and prodding the limb of the alien robot she had taken out earlier. They were all entranced by the strange limb, whose unique biomechanics mirrored that of a living organic being in some way. What they would learn from it could hopefully provide some insight to the mysterious mechanical aliens that walked on their world, and allow them to make proper countermeasures for their brave soldiers on the field to use against them.

 ‘Nerds.’ Beller thought, smirking at the egg-heads analyzing every part of the limb. ‘No wonder those dimwits couldn’t get any tail.’

 The young blond woman was clad in a plain sleeveless shirt and cargo pants sipping on some coffee as she watched the bright lights and loud noises go on in the research lab. Taking down that Autobot lifted her spirits and she felt unstoppable. If she did a good enough job, then OZ might even mass produce it alongside their talos units to make a new form of weapon both human and alien couldn’t hope to contend with. Beller was ready for anything that came her way, and she hoped her superiors thought the same of her.

 “You’re in high spirits, Major Beller.”

 Acting on instinct upon hearing the voice of her commanding officer, Beller quickly spun around (almost spilling her coffee) and saluted with a fist to her chest. “General Aries, sir!”

 “At ease, Beller,” Aries of the Zodiac smiled, which was a rare thing to earn from the man. The Zodiac were hard people to please, harder to impress, and Aries was certainly impressed with her track record so far. “You’ve been doing a spectacular job, on the last few missions.”

 “Thank you, sir, it wasn’t that hard at all, to be honest.” Beller said, smiling. Hearing praise from Aries the hard ass inflated her already big ego.

 “Is there any complications with the suit, Beller?” Aries asked. “Any health concerns that should be noted.”

 “No sir, the docs said that my vitals are fine and there are no abnormalities.” Beller reported. “The suit runs like a charm, sir. I feel stronger and faster, like a totally different person.”

 “That’s the whole point behind the project, Major Beller.” An elderly voice said, quickly erasing the smile from the woman’s face. “If you felt no different than you did before donning the suit, then I wouldn’t be doing my job.”

 Professor Henry Arkeville, one of Osea’s leading minds behind advancing talos technology, robotic prosthetics, and the main producer of the ARD’s anti-amalgam mechanized units, entered the room behind Aries with that same creepy grin on his thin, bony face as he regarded Beller. The man was on OZ’s payroll and was quickly rising through the ranks thanks to the vast amount of knowledge he had at his disposal and his willingness to adapt to the changing times.

 Arkeville was the man who came up with what many were calling the Circuit Breaker suit. Using the data obtained from the proto-cube stolen from the Wreckage of the Exodus, Arkeville headed a project to create a suit that used electromagnetism as a weapon. By enhancing the electrical impulses generated by her nerve system, the suit would allow her to control electromagnetic energy at will, enabling her to general electricity and-to a degree-machinery as well. It was a fitting anti-cybertronian weapon, as they were subject to the same limitations and weaknesses that plagued regular machines too. Another unintended side effect was that she was also able to control machines through that electricity, just like the talos she set on Jazz at HyTech’s testing range.

 Yes, the Circuit Breaker suit was amazing, but Aries wished it covered more than just key portions of Beller’s body. Neither he nor Aquarius particularly cared at how skimpy the suit was, but they had to show some decorum when doing their job. It was hardly professional to send out a woman in a skimpy costume to do battle. This wasn’t a comic book, after all. Granted, Beller didn’t really mind at how much skin the suit showed. If Aries knew her any better, he’d say she enjoyed flaunting her stuff while causing mayhem and chaos.

 “Does this mean we can finish building the Circuit Breaker talos?” Beller asked.

 “Yes, dear, I’d say we’ve gained more than enough data to make it a reality.” Arkeville smirked. “This field test was just the beginning.”

 As Arkeville left the room, Aries faced Beller. “Are you ready for the next step, Beller? We’re going to need you to test out the actual talos that goes along with your suit. It will be a different experience. Everything the armor feels, you will feel.”

 “I’m ready, sir. With my new power, those machines won’t know what hit them.” Beller said confidently. “It shouldn’t be too hard fighting a bunch of alien tin-cans.”

 “Temper that arrogance, Beller.” Aries said in a hard tone, making her clamp up. “Those aliens are not to be underestimated. The cybertronians are not just machines, they are living, fully intelligent creatures…creatures who have fought their fair share of battles. When you fight them, take them seriously, or they’ll make you look like a damn fool.”

 “I understand, sir.” She nodded. Deep down, though, she scoffed at his warning. These aliens were nothing more than metal and circuits with fancy weapons, and she had power over them. All she needed was time, and those tin cans were as good as dead. No machine can stand against the Circuit Breaker!

XXXXXX

 It was quiet in the medibay of the Ark. Despite knowing that OZ was most likely behind this, the Autobots knew there was little they could do, as much as they wanted to get revenge for Jazz. It was late at night now, with the Autobots either resting or patrolling, and the kids were at home with their Minicons.

 Arcee sat in the chair next to the CR chamber Jazz was in. It was surreal seeing her friend and mentor inside one of those tanks, motionless and weak. She was so used to seeing him laugh and joke around while kicking ass at the same time. Arcee always saw him as this super strong mech who didn’t let the weight of the world hold him down, but she forgot that he was just as susceptible to death and injury like anyone else. This was a sobering and scary reminder she had.

 “What are you doing here, nya?”

 Arcee looked down and saw Peppercat sitting next to her feet. She hadn’t talked to the Minicon since the whole information leak of the Solomus Massacre. She missed Peppercat’s company, the femme was a great listener when she wasn’t hopped up on excess energy.

 “Hey, Pepper,” Arcee said. “I was just…keeping Jazz company.”

 Peppercat tilted her head curiously and looked up at the unconscious Jazz. “He doesn’t look like he notices you, nya.”

 “That’s because he in stasis. He doesn’t know that I’m here.” Arcee replied. “He…won’t be waking up for a while.”

 They sat in silence for a few minutes before Peppercat asked, “Are you alright, nya?”

 “I’m…I’m honestly not doing very good, Pepper. Seeing him like this has me shaken up.” Arcee sighed and slumped her shoulders. “I mean, I’ve always had this mental image in my mind of Jazz being this unstoppable mech to me, you know? Like, nothing could touch him. Seeing him so hurt brings back a lot of bad memories.”

 “Does it remind you of…” Peppercat trailed off, not wanting to disturb Arcee, but the pink Autobot smiled down at her.

 “Yes, it reminds me of Moonracer, Pepper. You don’t have to dance around that memory. I’m…coping with it.”

 Arcee had been seeking help from Optimus and Jazz about the vivid memories of her sister’s death. She’d have nightmares of the incident back on Cybertron, and those nightmares returned in force when she ran into Flamewar again. Jazz did his best to help her, but he told her that the grief will never truly go away. It will still settle in her heart, in her mind and haunt her. The best she could do was accept it and try not to let it control her life. She was doing fine until this happened, and the experience shook her to the core.

 Jazz was there for her every step of the way. He helped her at her lowest moments, kept her from making so many mistakes in some futile attempt to escape her grief. He stayed with her no matter how many times she brushed him off, insulted him, and even attacked him. He taught her how to find her inner peace, and to let go of your worries in the face of danger. Just let things run their course and don’t let your struggles weigh you down lest they keep you from moving on in your life. It was a philosophy he shared with many people, from Optimus to Rodimus.

 “He will be fine,” Peppercat said. “Jazz is too strong to let this keep him down, nya. He didn’t survive four million years of warfare just to get offlined by a stinky human, nya.”

 “Ha, you’re right. He’ll be fine. This is just me suffering from a bit of anxiety.” Arcee chuckled. She held out her hand and Peppercat jumped into her palm, switching to beast mode and curling up. “Thank you for being here with me, Peppercat. I needed someone to talk to.”

 “Anything for a friend, nya.”

XXXXXX

 Beller looked up at her new talos, a unit designed to work with her Circuit Breaker suit-the Circuit Breaker MK2. She was in the hanger of the regional OZ base waiting to be deployed to properly test out the Circuit Breaker suit and talos. The techs were doing some last minute checks on the mecha’s joints and operating systems, but she was assured that everything should go smoothly so long as she doesn’t go beyond her limits.

 The Circuit Breaker talos was designed with the same humanoid aesthetic as the other units in OZ’s Mobile Armor Division. It was large, standing around 21 feet with thick armor plating modeled after the composite armor used in Osea’s Main Battle Tanks, the same armor that the M6 and M4s use, in fact. It was a steel gray color, with a smooth, round face and blue optics. Looking behind the talos, she saw a backpack unit with two whips connected to the arms.

 “What’s with the whips?” Beller asked.

 “They’re the Circuit Breaker’s new weapon.” Aquarius sauntered up to the woman, her indigo eyes glinting like dark sapphires. “Circuit Breaker is equipped with a pair of plasma whips that are capable of cutting through most material thanks to the high-voltage commutators in the forearms powering the ionized plasma channels. The armor itself is reinforced to protect it from self inflicted damages.”

 “I’m not so green that I’ll hit myself with my own weapons, sir.” Beller almost sneered. Aquarius gave an indignant snort at her attitude.

 “It’s a safety precaution, dear. Your superiority complex is safe and sound.” Aquarius cooed, making Beller scowl. “This unit doesn’t have a conventional control system. It’s designed to interface with your suit, meaning you can control it through your electrical impulses.”

 “That sounds fun.” Beller smirked. “Is there anything I should look out for, sir?”

 “Only to make sure you don’t go overboard with the talos’ weapons systems. All it takes is one well placed hit to the engine to make the whole thing go haywire, and you do not want to have your suit going nuts when it’s on your body.”

 “Please, like they’ll be able to hit me.” Beller snorted. “Those machines will be no match for me.”

 Aquarius frowned at the excessive arrogance the woman was showing. She read Beller’s field report; she was a former talos commander in charge of her own squad. She was a great pilot, but she had a temper and was not above using her own men as scapegoats in the name of victory, even going as far as to make it seem like they were accidents or casualties of war to justify her aggressiveness against the enemy. Though her performance on the battlefield was commendable, the higher ups in the military couldn’t get past her general disregard for the lives of her soldiers and she was dishonorably discharged.

 Now that Aquarius thought about it, Beller once served under Colonel Jonathan Wraith, an infamous hard ass who was no different from Beller in terms of mannerisms, but he took it a step further by pushing for the forced conscription of amalgams into the military to exploit their abilities as living weapons. And Wraith was a man who valued order above all us, even other people, so she wondered how Beller got away with her out of control attitude.

 Aquarius just hoped that this trigger happy G.I. Jane didn’t screw things up with her talos. The Circuit Breaker suit and mecha cost a pretty penny to make, and a lot of sleepless nights were spent making it the best talos it could be for urban warfare. The last thing she needed was one woman setting all that aflame because she thought she was Zeus on steroids.

_“All Mobile Armor units, move out in ten minutes.”_ The Watch Commander said over the intercom.

 “Suit up, Beller,” Aquarius said. “It’s show time.”

XXXXXX

 It was late at night when the Autobots got their first lead when Teletran-1 detected an emergency transmission from a local military base that was under attack. Optimus was the first on the scene with Prowl as they listened to the message.

_“This is watch command of Hancock military base requesting immediate reinforcements!”_ The officer sounded panicked and out of breath. Guns firing and explosions could be heard in the background. “ _We’re under attack by an unknown militia that is heavily armed. They have an amalgam with lightning-based powers and-wait, no, everyone take cov-“_ The transmission ended with a loud boom before cutting off.

 Optimus clenched his fists. “OZ.”

 “My thoughts exactly.” Prowl said and turned to Prime. “I never pegged them to attack a military base outright like that with no provocation.”

 “It’s a ploy to draw us out. They’re not afraid of getting exposed, since the attack can easily be blamed on Karaba.” Optimus said. “And the amalgam he mentioned is possibly the same person who attacked Jazz.”

 “Orders?”

 “Assemble a team and have Bulkhead and Wheeljack on standby.” Optimus commanded. “We need to move before they kill anyone else.”

XXXXXX

 Upon exiting the ground bridge portal, the Autobots arrived to a scene of carnage and chaos. The Hancock Army base was a total wreck, with the remains of armored vehicles and talos lying across the ground in pieces like broken toys. There were a few smoldering helicopter remains and the mecha hangar was in flames. The Autobots also saw the numerous charred corpses of soldiers across the ground, most were burned beyond recognition and others looked like they were dissected by something sharp. Optimus blanched at their last expressions, frozen looks of fear and pain. It was a massacre.

 “Primus above.” Arcee gasped.

 “Ratchet, we’re at the base, but there is no sign of the enemy.” Optimus said in a tight voice.

_“There’s no way they would be gone that quickly. We just got their distress call minutes ago.”_ Ratchet said. _“Be on your guard. It would be a trap.”_

“Autobots, form up and be on your guard.” Optimus said and raised his ion cannon.

 The team got into a circle formation and slowly walked through the ravaged base. Seeing all the destroyed vehicles and bodies lying around, it was clear that OZ did not want any survivors to tell of what happened here. The extermination was thorough. But the real question was where are they? Ambushes and surprise attacks were OZ’s forte when dealing with cybertronians, so they could lower their guard lest they get hit hard like Jazz was.

 Ironhide heard a loud metallic clang and spun around, raising one of his cannons as he approached one of the undamaged hangars.

 “Something wrong, Hide?” Bumblebee asked.

 Ironhide looked around a bit before shaking his head. “I thought I heard some-agh!”

 A powerful bolt of lightning burst through the door and hit Ironhide in the chest, making him fall back onto a destroyed tank. He groaned and looked down at the smoking hole the blast left in his armored chest. Had he not have dense armor, that blast would’ve hit him deeper than that.

 Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee faced their attacker, a large grey talos with thick armor and a pair of blue whips on its arms. Optimus stepped in front of Ironhide and addressed the pilot.

 “My name is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots.” Optimus said. “Identify yourself.”

 “Major Josie Beller, proud soldier of OZ, and your executioner.” Beller said smirking. “I know who you are, machine. It’s the whole reason I came to this dump.”

  “You mean you endangered and hurt these people just to get us here?” Arcee growled.

 “Couldn’t find you in the phonebook.” Beller shrugged. The arrogance in her voice was evident, even from their position.

Bumblebee growled and almost rushed the strange talos, but Optimus stopped him. “What do you want from us?”

 “Your parts.” She answered rudely. “What else?”

 Spotlights shined down on the Autobots and suddenly they were confronted with five attack helicopters hovering over them. Codarl and Orion talos appeared in the yard and to the Autobots’ surprise, the tanks that were left untouched suddenly began to move and take aim at them. Among the talos that appeared, there were two different variants of the Codarl, a red and blue version of the mass produced version. The red Codarl was Aries’ personal talos, Krios, and the blue Codarl that actually sported a steel reinforced water tank on its back was the personal talos of Aquarius, the Hydrakoos.

 “Great, these two again.” Bumblebee groaned.

 “Hello again, Autobots.” Aries greeted them. He turned to Arcee. “You’re looking well, Arcee. How are the twins?”

 “Better now that they’re away from you.” Arcee growled.

 “Good, we wouldn’t want any interruptions from them, would we?” Aries said. “All units, open fire on the Autobots. But leave enough to be salvaged later.”

XXXXXX

 It was dumb luck that High Wire got a call from Roll Bar about the huge battle that was going on. Having woke the kids up, the Minicons were urged to bring them to the Ark should they have need of their talos. As tired and grumpy as they were, the children grudgingly went along with their friends, knowing how serious the situation was. One Ground Bridge later and the kids were quickly ushered to the shuttle bay by Sparkplug, where Wheeljack, Bulkhead and Prowl were waiting with Ratchet at the Teletran-1 terminal.

 “Kids? What are you three doing here this late at night?” Wheeljack asked.

 “Roll Bar called us over in case we were needed.” Darren said. “What’s going on?”

 “It’s OZ,” Bulkhead answered. “They’ve just attacked a military base and Optimus took a team there to fight them off.”

 “The action already started and you guys didn’t call us?” Annie frowned up at Bulkhead.

 “We’re not obligated to inform you whenever we get into battle.” Prowl said, glaring down at her. “All you have are talos that you don’t even know how to use efficiently.”

_“Optimus to base,”_ Prime’s voice came over the comm-channel. “ _We’re in need of reinforcements! OZ is attacking with heavily armed units!”_

“That’s our queue.” Wheeljack said.

 Ratchet switched the ground bridge on and Prowl went in with Wheeljack and Bulkhead. The kids stood there with their Minicon friends looking less than pleased with Prowl’s words. Sara especially didn’t appreciate his insults towards Gina.

 “He acts like you guys didn’t help fight off a giant two-headed dragon.” Grindor said.

 “I do not appreciate the words he used to describe your usefulness, Ms. Gina.” Sara said. “He does not seem like a very open-minded individual. Shall I kill him, Ms. Gina?”

 “No! No, killing allies, Sara.” Gina exclaimed. “That’s a big no-no.”

 “Even if they are dicks.” Annie grumbled. She looked over at Darren and saw that he was staring intently at the monitor, where they heard the sounds of the Autobots battling OZ in a very difficult battle. “Darren, what’s up?”

 “I’m just thinking of something.” He said.

 “Something cool, I hope.” She said. Darren snorted.

 “Oh, it’s cool, all right…and dangerous.” He said, making Annie grin.

 “Now you’re acting like my twin.” Annie said happily.

 “Whatever it is you three are thinking, don’t even try it.” Ratchet said without taking his eyes off the screen. “This fight is too dangerous for you to get involved in.”

 “Those people made it our fight when they kidnapped my sister.” Darren growled. “The Autobots are outnumbered and they need all the help they can get. We have talos more advanced than theirs, we can even the playing field.”

 “I don’t care. Optimus will have my head if I willingly sent you all out into that mess.” Ratchet replied.

 “Let them go, doc.” Jazz appeared in the door, limping as he walked and holding his missing arm gingerly. “They’ll go out anyway. Might as well give ‘em the keys to the car, now.”

 “Jazz!” The kids and Minicons exclaimed. Ratchet quickly went over to Jazz to support him.

 “Jazz, you shouldn’t be on your feet!” ratchet hissed. “I haven’t even gotten around to replacing your arm yet.”

 “That doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is beating those stupid megalomaniacs before they do some more damage to boss bot and the others.” Jazz said. “Let the kids go out, doc. OZ pretty much knows how we operate and are better prepared to fight us.” He grinned down at the kids. “But they have no idea about our three secret weapons.”

 The kids smiled and nodded. It was time to get to work and prove their spot on the team.

XXXXXX

 The battle between the humans and Autobots at the Hancock Army base was in full swing as the two major forces battled fiercely. OZ’s armored forces surrounded the Autobots and began separated them, with the attack choppers converging on Optimus to isolate him from his team. This allowed Aries and Aquarius to enter the battle and fight Optimus off while their forces took care of the others.

 The unmanned tanks controlled by Beller were engaging Ironhide and Bumblebee, firing kinetic shells and sabot rounds at the two in addition to the Codarls shooting at them with assault rifles. Arcee was fighting Beller herself, but found that to be difficult as the Circuit Breaker talos’ plasma whips proved to be very lethal to cybertronians.

 Arcee jumped up and brought her swords down on Beller, but the talos dodged her blades and swung her plasma whips. Arcee rolled away as the whips tore into a tank behind her, slicing the vehicle in two like butter. Another crack of the whip left a deep gash in Arcee’s thigh, staggering her long enough for Beller to fire a lightning blast at her chest that blasted her into Ironhide. Beller didn’t waste a second as she turned her sights on Bumblebee as she fired her bolts at him.

 Instead of taking him out, Beller tried to use her suit’s amplification abilities to control the little Autobot. Bumblebee gritted his teeth as he struggled to resist the magnetic pull on his body, wincing as electrical surges ran through his body. He felt numb all over, but he resisted her will strongly. Beller frowned at his defiance, noticing how harder it was trying to control the Autobot. They were machines, she shouldn’t be having any problems in controlling them.

 ‘Could it be because they’re living beings as well?’ Bell through and smirked. “It doesn’t matter. All machines bow to Circuit Breaker sooner or later.”

She sent more electricity into Bumblebee, weakening his body until she was sure he would more receptive to her advances. When he fell to his knees, she raised her talos’ hands and forced the Autobot to stand up, pulling out his blaster and pointing it at Arcee. The pink Autobot cursed and leapt to the side to avoid Bumblebee’s shots. One of the Orions aimed at her and fired a volley of anti-armor missiles that exploded around Arcee, two missiles hitting her in the back.

 “A-Arcee!” Bumblebee groaned. Beller smirked and made one of the tanks point its cannon at the down femme. “N-No!”

 Before the tank could fire, a fission blast tore it apart from behind. Ironhide appeared from the smoke, his left cannon smoking as he glared at Beller. Beller growled and fired a bolt at Ironhide, catching him in the torso, but was surprise to see that the red Autobot didn’t go down like last time.

 “You’ll have to do more than that to keep me down!” Ironhide growled, pointing his cannons at her. He was going to blow her straight to hell and end this sick little game.

“Then I’ll just have to try harder!” Beller shouted. Her talos extended its plasma whips and lashed them out at her.

 Ironhide got hit in the right arm, damaging his cannon while the other wrapped around his leg and started burning into his armor. Ironhide growled and pulled on the whips, dragging Beller forward. Beller tried to keep her talos balanced while pressing a button to increase the outward voltage of the whips. With the amount of plasma increased in the whips, they burned into Ironhide’s armor faster, causing more pain.

 Arcee tried to help her friend, but Bumblebee opened fire on her again and she was forced to take cover behind a building to avoid the heavy bombardment that was hitting her. She hissed in pain as she felt the sizzling hole in her side where the missile hit her. There was no way she could get to Ironhide or Bumblebee without getting blasted into submission.

 “Not so superior now, are you machine?” Beller laughed.

 “Arcee, fall back!” Ironhide said. He hissed as he felt the whips get closer to his inner components.

 “Shut up you, stupid tin can!” Beller snarled.

 Optimus saw his comrades in danger and raised his ion cannon to shoot Beller down, but an onslaught of hellfire missiles fire by the helicopters forced him back. His distraction allowed a blast of water to smack the cannon from his hand and disarm him, and he jumped back to avoid another water blast that froze the ground where he once stood. Aquarius was controlling the water from her spot inside her talos, easily manipulating the liquid to drive Prime back from his friends.

 “You aren’t going anywhere, Prime.” Aries said. His Krios had its adamantium sword drawn and walked towards Optimus. “We’ve spent a lot of money and resources trying to get you all here, and we’re not about to let you waste it all again.”

He charged at Prime and swung his sword, but Optimus blocked it with his newly revealed battle axe. Prime deflected Aries’ strike, almost knocking his talos over, but he recovered and got into his sword stance. Inside his Codarl, Aries smirked; this was going to be a fun battle.

 Before his fun could really start, a ground bridge appeared in the middle of the yard and Prowl, Wheeljack and Bulkhead ran out shooting at everything that wasn’t friendly. Caught off guard by surprise reinforcements, many of the Orions were destroyed from direct hits from laser blasts while three Codarls were disabled. Wheeljack leapt forward and fired a shell from his shoulder cannon, which exploded and rained down gyro-inhibitors over the other OZ talos, shorting out the mecha’s systems and causing them to malfunction. In just a few seconds, a large chunk of OZ’s talos were disabled or destroyed.

 “That’s what I call an entrance!” Bulkhead charged forward and began smashing the talos apart with his wrecking ball. Bullets bounced off his large form as he batted away the surviving Orions and ruthlessly crushed the heads of the Codarls. He grabbed a tank by its cannon barrel and swung it around, slamming it into two Codarls that ran at him and smacking away an Orion firing missiles at him. One last swing sent the tank flying at Beller, who cursed loudly at him.

 “You fucking machine!” She shouted and spun her talos around send a plasma whip at the flying tank. It cut right through the tank and split it in half, sending the two pieces falling to both sides of her. She felt her talos lurch forward as something wrapped around its leg and pulled its leg from under her. “Shit!”

 The Circuit Breaker crashed to the ground, with Wheeljack’s energo-whip wrapped around its leg. Having lost her control over Bumblebee because of this, Beller was distracted as she saw Arcee charging at her with her fiery swords and channeled more energy into her talos to move it faster.

 There were numerous differences between regular talos and Circuit Breaker, one of its most significant changes being its control system. The talos operated on a semi-master/slave system, with its cockpit being a compact harness Beller hooked her arms and legs into. Once calibrated, Beller could move her arms and legs slightly, and the talos would mirror her movements on a proportionately larger scale. With her body’s neural system controlling the speed and movement of the talos, it made her reaction time faster than that of even the special Zodiac Codarl models. Beller was pushing her talos to its limits and she had to if she wanted survive.

 Moving Circuit Breaker so fast that its joints groaned from strain, Beller channeled more energy into her talos and released a powerful electromagnetic wave from her body that blasted Arcee and Wheeljack away. She immediately rammed her mecha into Arcee and pinned her to the ground.

 “Who the hell do you think you are?” Beller snarled. “You machines don’t mean shit to me!”

 Elsewhere, Optimus was joined by Prowl in his fight against the Zodiac. Optimus and Aries battled furiously, but it was clear that Prime’s superior strength was able to keep Aries on the defensive, as his adamantium sword could only do so much against an energo-weapon. Prowl was having a harder time fighting Aquarius, who attacked him with large blasts of water sharp enough to cut through steel.

 Prowl ducked under a slash from her and fired his laser rifle. A wall of ice blocked the first volley of laser bolts and before it shattered, Aquarius was already surfing on a large wave of water, her Codarl firing compressed blasts of water at Prowl. Prowl kept shooting at her as he evaded her attacks, but she was faster, moving along the ground on a coating of ice as if she were skating.

 “I like you, Prowl,” Aquarius giggled. “You’re much more fun than I give you credit for.”

 “This is war! It’s not supposed to be fun.” Prowl said and lobbed a grenade in front of her. It exploded near her talos’ feet, shattering her ice and making her stumble onto her front. “Take this seriously!”

 “You want serious? Fine, I’ll give you serious.” Aquarius spun her Codarl around and fired an armor piercing shell directly into Prowl’s face, knocking him back. She shot up and sprinted forward, reaching out with one large mechanical hand to grab Prowl’s gun arm and encased it in ice upon contact.

 Prowl tried to escape, but Aquarius lifted him up over her unit’s head and engulfed his body in a large water bubble, swinging him around in the air before slamming him into the ground. She froze the water around him so that only his head was left open and grinned through her monitor.

 “How’s that for serious, alien?” Aquarius huffed. She surrounded her Codarl’s hand in ice to make a long sharp spike and prepared to run him through…just as a large red axe sank into her talos’ shoulder and cleanly severed the arm in a single swipe. “The hell?!”

 Aquarius saw her Codarl’s arm drop with wide eyes before something large slammed into her talos and jostled her in her seat. Optimus Prime lifted the Codarl above his head and swung it around, slamming it into Aries’ unit to knock it away before throwing her into the ground, shattering the water tank on her back. Mounting the Codarl, Optimus prepared to smash its head in when Aquarius quickly had the water spilt from her tank shoot up and grab Prime’s arms.

 Optimus grunted as he tried to break free, but Aquarius punched him off her and let the water pull him off her and pin him to the ground, freezing his forearms to the ground. Aquarius made sure to freeze his legs as well to take away any leverage he had. Optimus tried to break free but he couldn’t properly move to break his icy bonds.

 Aquarius stood her damaged Codarl up and glared at Aries. “What the hell was that, Aries? I thought you had him!”

 “You fight him one on one and see if you can pin him down.” Aries remarked and walked over to Prime. “But that doesn’t matter. We have what we came for. Optimus Prime himself.”

 “Beller’s starting to have some trouble with the Autobots, but she’s holding her own.” Aquarius said. “Good to know that we didn’t just waste almost ten thousand dollars on a large paperweight.”

 “Beller, wrap it up.” Aries called in. “We’re pulling out.”

 “What? But I’m not finished with them yet!” Beller yelled from where she was fighting Ironhide and Arcee. Aries’ red Codarl spun around and fired a missile at her talos’ feet as a warning shot.

 “That’s an order, Beller!” Aries growled. “I’m not one of those pencil pushing Army commanders you served under, girl. Disobey me and I’ll find another more obedient pilot for the Circuit Breaker.”

 Beller scowled but retracted her plasma whips, ordering the helicopters to open fire on Arcee, Wheeljack and Bulkhead, the only other Autobots who weren’t seriously wounded like Bumblebee and Ironhide. Aries may have thought they won, but she didn’t see this as a victory until she’s killed them all.

 Aries radioed the airship that was parked a few miles back. “Transport, we’re moving out with two load outs. Ready the scramblers and- “

 Aries was cut off when two choppers were destroyed by two large beams of energy. Startled, both generals readied their weapons again, but they didn’t expect the third beam to hit the ground in front of them, shot from the sky. Another beam tore apart the third helicopter and the remaining two scattered as the Autobots started shooting at them.

 “Where did that come from?” Aries grunted.

 “Don’t ask me!” Aquarius snarled. “The Autobots might have reinforcements.”

 Beller also had no idea what was going on, but before she could move to assist the attack helicopters, her talos was suddenly grabbed by an invisible force that restrained her arms and pulled back. “The hell is this?!”

 The Circuit Breaker was pulled through the perimeter wall and out into the desert wilderness, away from the reach of her support team. Aries, who saw this, made to aid her but noticed the ice around Prime’s hands and feet shatter. Prime jumped up and punched the Krios in the face, almost taking its head off its shoulders and throwing it to the ground. Aquarius spun around to fight him, but her path was blocked by a large shape landing on the ground-a talos. It was black and white with a short, heavily armored frame and sporting a huge weapon load out that could rival an M6 Bushnell.

 “You ain’t touching the big guy!” Annie hollered through her Enyo’s external speakers.

 “Annie?” Optimus blinked. “What are you doing here?”

 “Saving you, of course.” Annie grinned. “Don’t worry, I came with back-up.”

 Optimus saw the ice encasing Prowl shatter as a red and gold talos hovered to the ground on a cloud of green particles venting from its exhausts.

 “We’re here to support you guys. That’s always been our job, right?” Darren said, switching his talos from fight mode to manual mode. “Let us help you just this once.”

 Aries’ eyes widened as he heard the twin’s voices coming from the new talos. “Darren and Annie Radcliffe? How…?”

 “Don’t act so surprised. Did you’d think we’d pass up the chance to get you after you fucked with our family?” Annie pointed her plasma cannons at Aquarius. “Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it?”

 Aquarius scowled and fired three water blasts as Annie, who fired her cannons and dispersed the water. Aquarius was forced to dodge, letting the beams destroy the tank behind her. The surviving Codarls gathered around to aim at the two newcomers.

 “Who authorized you two to head into battle? You aren’t ready for this.” Optimus said.

 “Optimus, with all due respect, we were put in danger the moment we met you guys.” Darren said, pointing his beam rifle/sword at Aries.

 “At least now we’re on equal ground with these yahoos.” Annie said.

 “Equal? There’s nothing equal about us, girl.” Aquarius hissed. Water blossomed around the Codarl and coalesced into a giant bubble around her talos, with long tentacles tipped with sharpened points flailing around, slamming against the ground. “Step aside or I’ll turn your little toy into a pin cushion.”

 “Go ahead and try!” Annie yelled.

XXXXXX

 Beller grunted as she felt the Circuit Breaker hit the ground outside the base and skid through the dirt and rock. Feeling whatever was holding her talos vanish, she pushed her arms forward and got her talos to its feet, looking around. There was nothing that could’ve dragged her like that, and all she could hear was the sound of fighting going on behind her. Gnashing her teeth angrily, Beller called out to whoever had the audacity to do that to her.

 “Who did that? Show yourself, you stupid machine!” Beller roared. “I’d like to see you try that again!”

 In response, two green plasma beams were fired from the sky and hit the ground in front of Circuit Breaker, kicking up dust in her face. The woman growled like an animal as her camera’s vision was blinded by dust and fired electrical blasts as where the beams came from but hit nothing. Were there more of those Autobots? Were they using some kind of stealth tech?

 “Stop playing around and come out so I can beat you to the ground!” She snarled.

 “Since you asked so nicely.” A girl’s voice said.

 The air in front of her shimmered a bit before a talos appeared. It was a purple and white talos that appeared from thin air, armed with a large sniper rifle sitting on its shoulder. Beller gritted her teeth when she realized that whoever was piloting that talos was just a girl!

 “So the Autobots have kids pulling their asses out of the fire?” Beller sneered. “Could they be anymore pathetic?”

 “Big talk for a woman who acts like she’s all touch thanks to a fancy suit.” Gina replied, targeting the enemy talos. “Why don’t you square up against someone who’s not susceptible to your powers?”

 “You’re gonna regret saying that, little girl.”

 Circuit Breaker lashed out with its plasma whips, but the Athena glided back out of its range. Beller charged forward and fired intense bolts of lightning from her talos’ hands, ripping up the ground in an attempt to kill the brat that thought she could fighter her. Gina pressed the trigger on her joystick and fired two beams at Beller. The OZ pilot easily dodged the first one, but the second hit her right in the shoulder, blasting apart the armor and shattering the joint there. Circuit Breaker’s arm fell off and the plasma whip snapped in two, sending sparks flying everywhere, mostly into Beller’s vision.

 “No!” She yelled, seeing her unit’s energy levels drop.

 Gina saw an opportunity and flew forward, closing the distance between her and Circuit Breaker. As she got close, Gina drew her beam saber and, in a quick downward slash, severed Circuit Breaker’s right leg. With the talos hopping on one leg, Gina had her at her mercy, but instead of going for a killing blow, she held the beam saber over Circuit Breaker’s head as she gave her warning.

 “This is the only time I’m going to say this,” Gina said through Athena’s speakers. “Leave with your buddies now and you’ll save what’s left of you dignity.”

 “Who the fuck are you to be giving me orders?” Beller shouted. “I’m ten times the pilot you will ever be! No one can beat me like this; not those robots and not a little shit stain like you!”

Enraged, Beller channeled her suit’s energy through the talos’ entire frame, sending out a dome of electrical energy that actually pushed Gina back a significant distance. Startled, Gina held her grip as she brought her beam sniper rifle to bear and fired through the storm of electricity Beller was giving off. A few shots were off target, but one managed to hit and destroy Circuit Breaker’s head, effectively blinding her. Two more shot took out the other leg and hit the chest near the neck, sending the talos to the ground.

 Gina righted her talos and moved closer to the immobilized talos and breathed a sigh in relief. “Thank goodness, I thought that psycho would neve-“

 A lightning bolt blasted through Circuit Breaker’s cockpit hatch and hit Athena in the chest. Gina screamed as her talos was hit with enough volts of electricity to short out its systems. Overloaded with energy, the Athena shut down and stumbled back, falling to the ground.

 “No, no, no! Don’t die on me now, Kirk!” Gina whined. Her cockpit was dark, her monitors off, controls weren’t responding, comms were dead. She couldn’t even get her Apollo drive to boot up again. The talos would reboot itself given time, but Beller was coming for her and she didn’t have an hour to spare.

 Beller blasted her talos’ chest open in a burst of electricity and climbed out, clad in her Circuit Breaker exo-frame. Bolts of electricity flew off her body, making her hair stand up. Combined with the savage look in her eyes, she looked every bit as unbalanced as she was.

 “Come on out, little girl.” Beller laughed, floating towards the downed talos. “I want see your face one more time before I burn it off!”

 A fist slammed into her jaw from the side and Beller was thrown to the ground face first. Blood spurted from a broken nose and deep cuts caused by the sharp rocks her face grinded against before she rolled to a stop. Spitting out a glob of blood, Beller weakly stood up with a painful jaw and saw a young girl clad in a white dress walking towards her.

 “You will not hurt Ms. Gina.” Sara said resolutely.

 “More jail bait? You freaks are getting on my nerves!” Beller growled. “What are you gonna hit me with, little girl? Shoot me?”

 “No,” Sara pointed behind her. “She is.”

 Beller didn’t know what hit her as she was hit in the back by a plasma blast fired by Gina, who had her “Gina Blaster” on hand in situations just like this. The plasma beam hit Beller’s power pack that was connected to her spine and powered her suit. The minute it was damaged, the device overloaded and to Gina’s horror, the woman was violently electrocuted. Gina backed away as Beller screamed in agony as thousands of volts surged through her body, burning her skin and incinerating her hair to the scalp. The thin metal strips on Beller’s skin melted to her body as they were heated up to scalding temperatures.

 All this took just seconds to occur, and once it was over, Beller fell to the ground with smoke rising off her body. Gina gagged as she smelt burnt flesh and ran back to her cockpit to get away from the horrible sight. As for Sara, before she followed her charge, she looked down at the pitiful sight and shook her head.

 “I did say you would not touch Ms. Gina. This is your fault for not listening to your betters.” Sara said and calmly stepped over Beller’s body, not giving her a second glance.

XXXXXX

 ‘What the hell kind of machine did those aliens give this girl!’ Aquarius thought with a scowl as she was forced to dodge another large beam fired at her by Annie. The Enyo was a powerful talos, with two beam cannons and two pulse cannons including its beam bazooka. Annie had no qualms about unleashing her mecha’s full power on Aquarius, and the Zodiac could do little else against the onslaught.

 Aquarius had been forced on the defensive once Annie got a foothold in their battle. One shot from those weapons was enough to completely annihilate the air support one by one, and could take out a Codarl with ease. Aquarius was forced to resort to using her own water and ice as shields that barely kept her from getting destroyed.

 ‘Where did these talos come from? Our reports never said anything about them.’ Aquarius thought. She grunted as the jeep next to her was destroyed by a beam attack and moved to take cover behind a hangar. ‘Did the Autobots provide this technology to the children?’

 If she was having a hard time, then Aries was getting absolutely trashed. He had to fight the combined might of Darren and Optimus. Armed with only a sword and anti-armor missiles, which were almost depleted, he was also put on the defensive as Darren turned the entire environment against him. Rocks and debris were thrown at Aries, who also had to avoid the dangerous Helios sword that the Prometheus was armed with. If it wasn’t that, it was fighting against Optimus, who was just as dangerous with his battle axe. Aquarius could hear Beller’s curses over the comm and slammed a hand on her control panel.

 “This is getting us nowhere!” Aquarius hissed. She quickly pushed her Codarl to evade a beam cannon blast that tore through the wall of the hangar and saw Annie charging at her. “Where the hell is Beller?”

 One of the surviving gunships that managed to escape the Autobots’ opening assault called her up. _“General Aquarius, I have a visual on the Circuit Breaker unit. It’s…”_ The pilot trailed off, unsure of how to break the news to Aquarius. _“The Circuit Breaker is severely damaged, sir. I think it’s down for good, and there is another white talos standing over it.”_

“Fuck!” Aquarius cursed. How the hell did this mission go south so fast? They were winning!

_“What about Agent Beller?”_ Aries grunted over the comm.

_“I have a visual on her too, sir. She’s on the ground incapacitated, and I think she’s severely wounded as well. She might need immediate medical attention.”_

Aquarius closed her eyes and counted to ten as Aries went silent over the channel. That was it. Their main trump card against the Autobots was most likely dead or crippled, and the weapon that was most effective against the Cybertronians was now in the Autobots’ hands. This was a wonderful night.

 “ _Aquarius, we’re pulling out what’s left of our forces. Retrieval team, get Beller and destroy the Circuit Breaker unit.”_ Aries said.

 “Copy that.” Aquarius knew better than to argue now.

 Aries cut the line and looked forward at Darren and Optimus. Studying the red and gold talos that ruined his operation, Aries held his temper at bay and acknowledged his loss. “You win, Autobots. And you have those children to thank for it.”

 “They’re…retreating?” Darren blinked. He saw the one remaining helicopter fly away as the two or three Codarls and the one Orion trudged out of the base. The red and blue Codarls piloted by the Zodiac stood near each other.

 “Make no mistake, boy. This is a tactical retreat.” Aries said. “The next time we meet, it will be on our terms.”

 “And we will win.” Aquarius promised.

 “And we’ll fight you again!” Annie yelled at them, regrouping with Prime and her brother.

 “Until next time, Optimus Prime. It won’t matter who wins your little war. in the end, the victors will still face the might of OZ-and we will end up with the spoils.” Aries said.

 They fired two smoke grenades each to cover their escape, and were gone before the twins and Optimus could stop them. The other Autobots ran to see to their leader as Optimus faced the twins.

 “Darren, Annie,” He began. “That was incredibly risky of you to enter the fight like that. Engaging the enemy who has more skill and experience than you was dangerous.”

 “Not to mention foolhardy.” Prowl said, crossing his arms.

“But your intervention turned the tide of the battle. And you saved my life,” Optimus said. “For that, I thank you.”

Annie grinned with red cheeks, though no one could see it. Getting a thank you from Optimus Prime made her heart flutter and she felt giddy inside. Darren felt the same way, muttering a shy “thanks”. Optimus gave Prowl a look, who stared back at him before sighing and giving his own thanks.

 “I want to thank you both as well. Though your methods were reckless, you did save us. Perhaps you three aren’t total liabilities as I thought you were.”

 “That really means a lot coming from you, Prowl. Thanks.” Darren said. He sounded so honestly when he said that, that it made Prowl clear his throat and look away.

 “Yes, well,” He muttered. “Just don’t get too carried away.”

 “Don’t worry, guys. You won’t get bumped out of the world-saving business any time soon.” Annie said. She hummed and looked around. “Hey, where’s Gina?”

 “Over here!”

 The Autobots quickly ran out of the base and saw Gina sitting on the remains of the Circuit Breaker talos, with her Athena lying not too far from them. Sara stood next to Gina, on her guard as always as the Autobots approached them. The blonde girl smiled up at the others and waved them over.

 “Does anyone else feel like a beast? Because I certainly do!” Gina said proudly.

XXXXXX

 Back in the confines of their regional base, Aries and Aquarius were lamenting over their spectacular failure. Inside the medical ward, Aries calmly sat on a chair watching Aquarius pace around the room like a rabid animal.

 “That was a fine mess.” Aries said patiently. Aquarius stopped and glared at him.

 “A fine mess? That’s all you can say about it?” She snapped at him. “That was a disaster! All that hard work spent on the Circuit Breaker project and we lose it all to a bunch of kids in fancy mecha! We couldn’t even retrieve the talos because they were guarding it!”

 “Getting worked up over it won’t accomplish anything.” Aries said. “Besides, we still have our test subject in the Autobot arm we have. Their loss is our gain. You can’t win them all.”

 Aquarius snorted and turned away from him. She looked through the window at the person lying in bed on the other side. It was a woman, covered from head to toe in bandages and hooked up to life support. What little skin that remained uncovered was pink and smooth, burns that laced her entire body. Josie Beller, former major and talos ace, was dead to the world, catatonic and unresponsive.

 “How is she?” Aries asked.

 “Her entire body is covered in second degree burns and the Circuit Breaker suit was practically melted into her skin. She’s in a coma and the doctors don’t know when she’ll wake up, but if she does, then she’ll be completely paralyzed.” Aquarius said. “She won’t be getting up for rehab anytime soon.”

 “Good,” Aries growled. “That’s more than enough punishment for ignoring my warnings to take her opponents seriously.”

 Unknown to the generals, however, Beller’s mind was still aware of the world around her. She could not speak, not could she move, but her mind was abuzz with thoughts and memories. She was crippled beyond even OZ’s medical miracles, and the Autobots were to blame. Those accursed machines had ruined her life, and she was going to make them pay, even if she had to sell her soul to do it. But it wasn’t just their fault-it was that girl. That blonde girl who destroyed her weapon, who humiliated her and destroyed her career and her dreams. Josie Beller vowed on her life, that Gina Harkins will be the first to die by her hand.

 

 


	28. Assassination Duet

Chapter 27-Assassination Duet

Penelope Pincer was a girl who was driven by ambition. Born to a wealthy family who made a fortune investing into the talos market, Penny made it her life’s mission not to end up like those arrogant and spoiled brats she grew up with when she lived in Washington. The noisy and spoiled girls she often found herself confronting were dead set on spending their entire lives living off their parents’ money, dependant on other people to live their lives for them, content with doing nothing but pretending to be queen bee.

But Penny was different; she had a brain and she knew how to use it. When other kids spent their weekends watching cartoons and hanging out with friends, she was in her workshop trying to make her own fully automated personal robots. It all started with a pet robot dog she tried to make, and from there she ignited a love for robotics and science in general that carried on well into her preteens. Looking back on how she was before that fateful day she ran into a certain blonde girl at a science expo, Penny realized how selfish and arrogant she was-no different from those kids she always held herself above. Perhaps it was that self-assured faith in her skills and lack of an equal is what made being matched by Gina Harkins, her eternal rival, sting more than it should.

Since they first met at that science expo in Washington, Penny and Gina were always trying to beat each other, either in technology, science, history, whatever caught their fancy. Penny knew she had a better house, better equipment, and generally more money than Gina, but she was envious of the blonde for more mundane reasons that didn’t involve being surpassed in the body department; Gina had friends. Gina had two best friends; the cute if not plain Darren and his trigger happy, overly aggressive twin sister Annie. She saw how they looked after each other and often longed for a lasting friendship like that-sure Kevin filled that role just fine, but he was boyfriend material, her crush, he didn’t count technically. It’d just be nice to have her own posse, friends she could surround herself with like Gina has.

‘Is it because she’s more developed than me?’ Penny thought. ‘Yeah, that has to be it! That dumb blonde isn’t even fourteen yet and she’s already rocking a bod that’s attracting all the boys. Mother Nature would give the hot blonde from the boonies a free pass and look over a sista from D.C.’

These outrageous ideas became more and more outlandish as she sat on a broken fridge near a lake that ran next to a factory. In her hands was her first drone, an upgraded version of her dog robot that she had for nearly ten years. Its first incarnation was little more than a robotic puppy that ran on AAA batteries and moved in a single line. But now that her knowledge in robotics had grown, her D.O.G. drone (she couldn’t think of a meaning for the acronym, as she thought naming it that way was just cooler) now looked like a Great Dane with a black visor in place of eyes.

The main reason of her ire for Gina was because she thought the blonde girl had “stole” her only friend in Tranquility-Kevin. Penny had noticed that the fire spewing amalgam had been spending more and more time with the trio instead of with her. Sure he always made time for her, he was like nice like that, not wanting to feel like he was abandoning her, but she felt he was hiding something from her. Penny noticed this had begun after he returned from his camping trip; she thought Gina had worked her little nerdy feminine wiles on her and ensnared him in her web of lies but now she was thinking that it was something bigger-something that involved not just Gina, but Darren and Annie as well.

‘I don’t know what kind of voodoo that little witch did to snag him, but I’m not going to let this sit!’ Penny vowed. ‘I swear this on Einstein’s grave, or my name isn’t-‘

“Penny!”

“Wah!” Penny jumped and fell off the broken down car she was sitting on. DOG jumped after its master, barking mechanically before hopping off the hood and running over to Kevin.

“Are you alright?” Kevin asked over DOG’s loud barking.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” Penny coughed, trying to save face.

“You were staring angrily into nothing for almost five minutes now,” Kevin said, smiling at Penny’s blush. “I’ve been trying to call you for a few minutes now.”

“Oh.” Penny’s blush grew. Nice going, Penny, you’ve made yourself look like a fool in front of the one boy who’s not a total spaz. ”W-Well, I was just bored. You took too long getting here.”

“Sorry, I was just helping a friend find something she lost.” He said.

Kevin was helping Tracer locate D-Va over in Emmeria with Arcee and Skyfire. The poor femme missed her friend and was probably the only one aside from Sparkplug on the Ark who didn’t condemn D-Va as a traitor and marked her for shoot on sight. D-Va was Tracer’s best friend, and she wanted to know that she was safe and in one piece, out of the clutches of baddies like OZ. After their last excursion, no cybertronian was safe from them on this planet-not Autobot, Decepticon or Minicon.

Obviously, they found no sign of her, and D-Va was very good at covering her tracks to make sure she disappeared without a trace. Arcee had theorized that she even changed her paint color on top of scanning a new form to blend in easier. It hurt seeing the normally cheerful Tracer look so sad, but there was little else he could do. And this was before he realized that he was snubbing Penny off more than usual to help Tracer, and Penny was not a girl who liked being pushed aside for another girl.

“What kind of friend?” Penny inquired further. “She wouldn’t have blonde hair, blue eyes and a body no girl her age should have, hmm?”

“No, Penny, it’s not Gina.” Kevin sighed. “Please don’t start with that.”

“No, listen to me! You’ve been spending more time with my arch nemesis than me for nearly a month now and it’s starting to get on my nerves.” Penny said and stomped up to him. “What the hell happened to our training sessions together? You barely come to those either, and in case you’ve forgotten, that’s a required class!”

Penny was talking about the private training sessions Kevin would have with her in seclusion, small training regimens to help Kevin better control his powers. They would go to isolated places like a lake or a junkyard to hone his powers, learning how his energy absorption worked, the limits on the amount of energy he can absorb at a given time (they still don’t know, but Kevin assumed that being hit by a cybertronian blaster would be enough to keep him going for about a week), and how to apply his powers, which led to him learning how to fire energy blasts and use his energy to enhance his body. It was how he was able to function in society without being afraid of crushing something accidentally or firing an energy beam from his hands like a fireworks display. These were little bonding moments for Penny and she felt a little hurt that he would avoid those as well.

“I know, Penny, and I’m so sorry for that. But I’ve gotten better, see?” Kevin raised his hands and generated two orange orbs of energy in his hands and made them dance around Penny.

“Wow.” Penny momentarily forgot her anger as Kevin made the little orbs dance before snapping his fingers and making them explode into harmless little sparkles in her face. She yelped and jumped back into his chest. “Hey!”

“Sorry.” He chuckled.

Penny turned around and blushed when she noticed how close they were. Green eyes met amber for a moment, and the kids felt a spark between them before Penny lightly pushed herself away. Seeing her like this reminded Kevin that Penny wasn’t the headstrong and cocky inventor girl everyone saw her as, but as the girl who had little to no friends. He felt worse than he already felt for not telling her all the things he had seen and done.

“Penny, I’m sorry if it seems like I’m ignoring you.” Kevin apologized. It was so earnest that the witty remark Penny had planned for him died before it left her lips. “It’s just that…they’re a lot of things going on and it’s making me busier than usual.”

“But what’s so crazy that you can’t even find time for us? You’re able to make time for Gina’s group lately.” She accused him. “You’ve never given them the time of day before that camping trip. Did something happened over there?” Her voice took on a threatening tone. “Did Gina confess to you?”

“W-What? No, she didn’t confess anything, Penny!” Kevin stammered.

“Then it’s Annie then. I knew that tomboy floozy was hunting you down!” Penny growled. “I knew those rumors of her being bi were bull. How long has this been going on?”

‘Annie’s bisexual?’ Kevin thought, then shook his head to get the conversation back on track. “Penny, there’s nothing going on between myself and the girls. I swear on my father’s life that there’s no secret relationship or anything.”

Penny nodded and calmed down a little. Whenever Kevin swore on his late father, it meant he was serious. His father was a fighter pilot turned airplane performer who died in an accident during an air show-and Kevin saw the whole thing. Kevin idolized his father and strived to be a pilot just like him, powers or not. Even still, she was sore about him keeping secrets.

“Then can you at least tell me what’s going on between you and them? What’s so special and important that you guys meet up immediately after school?” She asked.

Kevin struggled with her pleas. He knew she was only worried about him; she was worried enough about someone finding out about his esper status and essentially ruining his public life. He knew she was well aware of the possible dangers of his life, but this was not something she was ready for. An intergalactic civil war waged by giant alien robots, the life and death missions, the constant threat of being hunted down by Decepticons or rogue terrorist organizations; Kevin didn’t want her involved with any of that. Even Debbie kept the Autobots at a distance these days, and she trusted them with her younger siblings’ lives. There was real danger involved, and Penny, being the cocky and self assured girl she was who never back down in the face of danger, was not ready for this.

“I’m sorry, Penny, but there’s no secret.” He told her. “It’s nothing important, really.”

“I see.” Penny said, her face stony and her tone icy. “Then I guess you must think our friendship isn’t important either.”

“Penny, that’s not it!” Kevin said as she walked away and mounted her bike. She whistled for DOG to follow her and she gave him one last glare before riding away with her drone running behind her. Kevin stood near the riverside, alone, and for the first time since meeting the Autobots, cursed them for his misfortune.

XXXXXX

A small pink and red ATV with a radio dish on its hood sat close by, hidden from view of the two humans. It recorded their conversation, hearing every work spoke between them. this was the Minicon Search, former partner of Lugnut and currently a free agent.

Search didn’t like recon duty, even though his alt mode was perfect for the job, but he was willing to go the extra mile to get back at the kid who bumped off Lugnut. Sure, the big guy wasn’t all that bright, and was annoying as hell, but Search grew a soft spot for the giant nut. He provided the action that he craved when not stuffed in those claustrophobic rooms on the Nemesis. Those kids caused him a lot of slag for killing Lugnut, he couldn’t even get any free time unless he was partnered with a Con as a security measure. His surveillance skills left him stuck with Barricade; no action, only rolling around like a remote control toy. He was going to get those brats back for what they did!

_“Search, what’s your status?”_ Barricade asked over the comm.

“I’m at the river right now.” Search answered. “And I’ve got a read on two brats who might be related to the Autobots’ human pets.”

_“Keep an eye on them a little longer.”_ Barricade instructed. _“We’ll wait until they meet up with the other humans before making our move.”_

“About damn time we started taking action.” Search grumbled. He went back to watching the dark skinned human mope about his angry girlfriend. Despite his feelings on these hairless apes, he still sympathized with the kid-femmes were a handful, no matter what race they were.

XXXXXX

Kevin and Tracer fought hard in the Ark’s combat room, which was designed for sparring sessions, training routines and physical therapy. They did this more and more following D-Va’s defection and it kept Tracer occupied with company after her best friend left her. Fighting her kept Kevin in shape and his skills sharp, though Tracer noticed that he seemed a bit out of it today.

“Ha!” Kevin shot a fireball at Tracer, exploding it into a larger wave to enclose upon her. Tracer skillfully warped away from the flames and reappeared close to Kevin, leaping at him with her training staff. Kevin ducked under her strike and lunged at her, but she dodged him and grabbed his arm, flipping him over his head and onto the ground.

Kevin grunted and jumped back to his feet, running at Tracer in a low crouch before shooting a jet of flame from her feet to leap into the air and throw a spin-kick at her. She barely dodged his kick and leapt on his back in the air, twisting her body and throwing him back onto the ground just as hard as before. Tracer quickly jumped on him and used her staff to hold him down.

“I win!” Tracer chirped happily. “That was too easy, Kevin.”

“I can see that.” He wheezed under her heavy form. “Please get off me!”

“Huh? Oh, right, sorry!” Tracer hopped off Kevin, who rolled over with a groan. “Oh, relax, I’m not that heavy.”

“You’re made of metal, of course you are.” He said.

Tracer waited for Kevin to regain his breath before she talked to him. “So, what’s wrong?”

“Hmm?” He looked up at her. “What do you mean?”

“What’s wrong?” She asked again. “You weren’t all that focused today, and I know something’s bothering you. You can tell me, love.”

Kevin looked a bit conflicted, before he gave a resigned sigh and sat up on the floor. “It’s Penny. She’s a friend of mine, and we’ve had what I think is our first real fight today.”

Tracer nodded, she heard about Penny from their previous conversations. “She’s your best friend, yes? Why was she angry at you?”

“Because of…all this.” Kevin waved his hands at the room around them, indicating not just the ship but everything he been through as well. “She’s suspicious about why I’m hanging out with Darren and the others so much and she’s starting to ask questions. Questions I can’t answer without revealing you guys.”

“Does she really think that you’re hiding something?” Tracer asked. “I mean, she couldn’t possibly be that attentive.”

“Penny didn’t get to where she is now by ignoring glaring facts like that. She knows that I’m involved with something and that it involves the others as well.” Kevin ran a hand through his dreads. “I don’t know what to do, Tracer. Penny is my best friend, my only real friend before meeting Darren. She’s the reason I’m even good at controlling my powers, and we’ve never kept any serious secrets from each other.”

Tracer noted his distress as he spoke about this. “You really care for what she thinks?”

“Despite Gina’s horror stories, Penny isn’t a bad person, she’s just really dedicated to her work.” Kevin said and leaned back on his hands. “We’ve always been together since childhood. When I discovered my powers during an accident at a fireworks show, I was scared of people finding out what I was. I survived an accident that had seriously injured four people older than me, and I thought I’d be hunted down like some animal. Penny discovered my secret by accident, back when I was practicing them at the park. She could’ve ratted me out right then and there, but she didn’t. Instead, she stayed with me and learned everything I could do. We’ve always shared things with each other, so having her made at me for keeping secrets is not fun at all for me.”

Tracer nodded and sat next to Kevin. After a few minutes of silence, and heavy thinking on Tracer’s part, she snapped her fingers with a bright smile.

“Why don’t you tell her?” She suggested. Kevin looked at her confused.

“Tell her?”

“Yeah, tell Penny about the war and us.” She said. “I’ll be there to help you.”

“Whoa there, Tracer, I can’t just do that. The Autobots and Minicons trust me to keep their existence a secret, as in not blabbing it to the first person I have on my MySpace friend list.” Kevin said.

“Whoever said they had to know.” Tracer said. “You can tell her everything and have her swear not to tell the others, and just keep it as a little secret between the three of us. This way, you can fix your friendship and not anger the Autobots.”

Kevin wanted to protest this idea, knowing keeping this secret from the Autobots could only go wrong, but he saw the sense in it. As long as no one knows, feelings won’t get hurt…too much. It’s just that whenever people are dragged into this secret war between the cybertronians, they never get the chance to be normal again. He had seen subtle changes in Darren, Annie and Gina; the way they always look over their shoulder in a way no one notices, the slight tensing of their shoulders every time a suspicious looking car shows up, that look in their eyes that was more at home on a soldier than a thirteen year old child. Knowing about the Autobots and Decepticons, and the constant danger Terra faces every day was a heavy and dangerous burden to bear, and Kevin didn’t want Penny to go through this mess either.

Tracer put a hand on Kevin’s shoulder to get his attention. “Kevin, I know you’re worried for her, but I think she can keep a secret. You trust her, don’t you?”

“Definitely.”

“Then you should trust her to accept the truth and cooperate with us.” She said. “I’ll be there with you to prove everything, and maybe we can bring High Wire’s group into this when things settle down. But sooner or later, she might find out on her own.”

“And it’ll be better to bring her in on the secret on our terms, rather than have her jump to conclusions and cause more problems down the line.” Kevin finished. He frowned a bit before giving another sigh. “Can I think on this?”

“Sure, love. Go ahead. I’m not forcing you.”

“Thanks.” Kevin said as he got his stuff and left the room, with more things on his mind than when he got there.

XXXXXX

The next day was a blur for Kevin as he tried to figure out his next course of action. He spent his school day as he normally would, spending time with his basketball team, working on that science test he forgot to study for (it was dumb luck that it was another test on the intensities of colored flames) and hanging out with Darren’s circle of friends. He tried to talk to Penny, but she snubbed him, avoiding him at every turn and not looking at him in class. It was harsh but he expected nothing less from a girl who could hold a serious grudge like Penny.

‘I can’t keep going on like this.’ Kevin thought morosely.

He didn’t want to lose his friend, but he also didn’t want to blurt the truth about the Autobots out. He trusted Penny, but she was a prideful girl who would no doubt brag about being the first to meet aliens after learning the truth. It didn’t seem all that bad, but after getting caught up in that government group that Soundwave raided, he wanted to be more cautious.

‘But, maybe I’m just not giving her the benefit of a doubt.’ He figured. ‘Penny may be a handful, but she’ll listen to me if I press the issue. We’re best friends after all. I just need to make sure that the Autobots don’t know about this.’

After planning the scenario out in his head, Kevin waited for his class to be over before running out of the room and down the hall to where Darren and Annie’s lockers were. He ran into the twins, nearly bowling Annie over.

“Damn, Kev, what’s the rush?” She asked.

“Sorry. I just need to talk to Grindor.” Kevin said.

The twins looked at him strangely. “Um, like right now?” Darren asked.

“Yes, please.” Kevin replied, pleading with them to trust him on this.

Annie gave him a look before reaching into her locker and pulling out the skateboard-disguised Minicon and handing him to Kevin. “Fine, but don’t chat where anyone can hear you. And make it quick.”

“I will, don’t worry!” Kevin grinned and ran back down the hall. “And thanks!”

Darren watched Kevin go with a frown. “What was that all about?”

“I don’t know.” Annie shrugged and slammed her locker closed. “You’re the one who attracts the weird people.”

“I do not!”

“You totally do.”

Meanwhile, Kevin ran into a broom closet that was rarely used by anyone at this time of day. Making sure that no one was close by, he shut the door and looked at Grindor.

“Grindor, I need to speak to you.” Kevin whispered. “Like, now.”

“I can see that,” Grindor whispered back. “But couldn’t you have waited to do this after school?”

“No, I’m sorry, but this is kinda urgent.” He said. “Could you call Tracer for me?”

Grindor was silent for a minute. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Call her. I need to tell her something important.” Kevin whispered.

Grindor spun his wheels, forcing Kevin to let go of him. He hit the ground and transformed to his bipedal mode, glaring at the boy with his round, bulb-like eyes that glowed in the dim lighting of the closet.

“Did you just seriously snatch me up in the middle of a nap just to wire you a phone call?” Grindor hissed. “What the hell, dude?”

“Grindor, please, it won’t take long, I promise.”

“Kevin, we’re in the middle of a public school surrounded by people who could walk in on us at any moment. This is not the time for this!”

“The longer we argue, the more likely that’s going to happen.” Kevin pointed out.

Grindor glared at him before sighing and pressing two fingers to the side of his head, switching on his comm. “Fine. What do you want to tell her?”

Kevin told Grindor his message: for Tracer to meet him at the riverside junkyard where he and Penny talked the day before. He added for her to come in vehicle mode, and told Grindor that he said he was going with her plan. Grindor did so, and after a few minutes, he said that Tracer was going to be at the junkyard.

“What is this all about anyway? You get into trouble or something?” Grindor asked.

“Nope, I don’t think I’m in trouble anymore.” Kevin said smiling. “Now let’s get you back to Annie before she starts hunting me down for you.”

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

Penny gave a tired sigh as she made a beeline straight from her last class of the day to her locker pack her stuff away. She felt emotionally exhausted and seeing Kevin almost everywhere she went didn’t help her headache either. Once she got her stuff, she went to the doors and headed to the parking lot to get her back, only to be stopped by two boys.

That’s a fancy lookin’ bike you got there.” A snarky, nasally voice said. “Looks expensive. Did daddy get that for you?”

“Don’t even start with me, Billy. I’m not in the mood.” Penny growled. She turned around to see the two boys who were the typical bullies of the school. A tall, lanky boy standing next to a short, chubby boy who was obviously the underdog of the two.

“Aww, what’s the matter? Daddy cut off your allowance again?” Billy, the tall one, taunted and cackled. “Is that why you’re taking your bike instead of getting a ride in your limo?”

“Yeah, you think you’re better than us because you don’t take the bus like normal people?” Fred said. He carried a bag of chips that looked like it was ripped open by a pack of wolves.

“No, I’m already better than you whether I take the bus or not.” Penny replied. Her comeback made Billy lose his good attitude.

“You better take good care of that ride of yours.” Billy warned. Next to him, Fred was pulling on his shirt, looking behind him.

“Uh, Billy?” Fred whined. Billy ignored him and continued to taunt Penny.

“Not now doofus.” He growled. Turning his attention back to Penny he said, “You better watch you ride very closely. Wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to it, right?”

“Like what, Billy?”

Billy froze and slowly turned around. Behind him was Kevin, looming over him like an intimidating bodyguard, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Next to him, Fred was cowering like a lost child, praying that he wasn’t going to get tossed around like last time.

“What were you going to say, Billy? What might happen to her bike?” Kevin asked calmly, though he didn’t hide the menacing undertone in his voice.

“Uh…I was just warning her to…chain her bike properly. Yeah! You never know who might snatch up her bike!” Billy laughed nervously. Sweat fell down his face in rivers under Kevin’s gaze.

“Yeah, you’re right. You never know what might happen these days.” Kevin said as he took the bag from Fred’s trembling hands. “One minute you’re just minding your own business, and the next-wham!”

He tore the bag in two, not taking his eyes off Billy. “Someone comes along and ruins your whole day.”

Billy got the message and speed run past Kevin, dragging Fred by the collar into the parking lot. Once they were out of earshot, Billy began tearing into Fred for not warning him that Kevin was standing behind him. Fred replied that he tried but Billy ignored him. They argued furiously until they were well out of sight, leaving Kevin and Penny alone.

Kevin shook his head at the two boys. They never learn, if it wasn’t Darren, then it was Gina. And after Annie promptly beat them black and blue, they began to harp on Penny because she was wealthy. He looked back at Penny, who glanced back at him before she huffed and got on her bike. Kevin sprinted forward and grabbed her bike before she could ride off.

“Let go, Kevin.” Penny growled.

“Wait, just hear me out.” Kevin said but she wasn’t having it.

“I have nothing to say to you.” She said frowning. “You like keeping secrets, fine, have fun keeping secrets with Gina.”

Penny tried to pedal away, but couldn’t get her bike out of Kevin’s grip. He looked at her with such intensity in his eyes that Penny blushed and averted her gaze.

“Penny, I know that you’re mad at me. And I understand why. You think I’m betraying your trust, abandoning you for other people. I get that,” He said. “But I’m not doing that. There is a reason why I’m keeping secrets like this. Why I’m hanging out Darren and the others. It’s not just because they’re my friends, it’s also because I’m involved with something dangerous.”

That drew her gaze back to him. “W-what? What do you mean dangerous?” She asked. “What did you get yourself into?”

He gave her one of those charming smiles that she fell in love with when she knew what love meant. “Let me show you. Please?”

Penny looked at him cautiously and nodded. Kevin led her out of the parking lot and down two blocks before leading her into an alleyway. When they were far enough from prying eyes near the street, Kevin signaled for Tracer to come out of her hiding place. Penny jumped as she saw the riderless motorcycle driven towards them.

“Kevin,” Penny said softly. “What’s going on?”

“Penny, before I show you this, you have to promise me that you won’t freak out and scream, okay?” Kevin pleaded. “Seriously, what you’re about to see is really shocking, but please try to hold that scream in until I can explain. Can you do that for me?”

Penny scowled and punched him in the shoulder. “Who do you think I am? I don’t scream over little things like Gina!”

“Okay then,” He turned to Tracer. “You can transform now.”

Penny saw the fancy motorcycle begin to reconfigure and change before her eyes. Her mouth fell open as she saw the ordinary vehicle transform into a humanoid, robotic form that stood a little taller than Kevin. She stared at the little robot in shock as it-she-smiled at her and waved.

“Hello, love,” Tracer greeted as gently as possible. “Name’s Tracer. Nice to meet ya.”

“AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!”

Kevin quickly planted his hand over Penny’s mouth to cover her scream of excitement that gushed forth from her inner fangirl. He glared at her as she continued to give a muffled scream behind his hand.

“Seriously, after I just told you not to scream?” He hissed. “What was all that about not acting like Gina?”

Penny pulled his hand from her mouth. “Kevin, that motorcycle just transformed into a real, talking robot. How the hell can you expect me not to freak out? Look at it!”

“Tracer’s not an it, and she’s not some robot. She’s an alien.” Kevin told her. Penny froze and stared up at him with a blank expression.

“Really? An alien?” She asked.

Penny stared long and hard at Tracer before turning back to Kevin. “Explain. Now.”

“Well, first we’ll have to go somewhere where we can have some proper privacy, after that little ear drum shattering shriek you just gave.” He grumbled. She punched his arm again.

“I don’t shriek.” Penny pouted.

“Any ideas on where we should go?” Tracer asked.

“I think I have a suggestion!”

The sudden exclamation startled the three and they turned to the entrance of the alley to see a red muscle car driving right at them. The fancy car transformed in motion, splitting apart and reconfiguring into a giant bipedal form, the Decepticon Knockout. Penny screamed in fright as Tracer pulled her and Kevin behind her.

“What the hell is that?” Penny shrieked.

“Trouble!” Kevin said. He ran forward and shot a huge energy blast at Knockout, increasing the power in the beam to the point where even the Decepticon couldn’t ignore the stinging pain as the attack hit his unprotected face. Tracer stood by to usher them to safety. “We need to run, now!”

“I’ll call Ratchet!” Tracer said, but wasn’t able to as a police car suddenly rammed into her, sending her crashing into a dumpster.

Penny screamed as she saw the police car that appeared out of nowhere also transform into a sixteen foot tall robot and reached down to grab her. Kevin fired two beams from his feet to boost himself up into the air, slamming a fist into Barricade’s face, almost breaking his hand despite his energized body. Barricade grunted as he felt his cheek sting from the punch and snatched Kevin out of the air, slamming him into the ground.

“Hold still you little bastard!” Barricade growled, hissing as Kevin struggled valiantly in his grip.

“Kevin, Penny!” Tracer went to attack the Con, but Knockout reached out and pinned her to the ground.

“Don’t even think about it, tiny.” Knockout said. He looked into a window and grimaced at the scorch mark on his face, which was still stinging from the beam. “Look at what that brat did to me! You’re going to end up on my dissection table you little piece of slag!”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Knockout. We need the humans to enact our plan.” Barricade scolded. “No harm must come to then…yet.”

“What about this little scraplet, then?” Knockout nodded to the Minicon in his grasp. “She’s a Minicon. Are we going to take her?”

“Let her be the messenger.” Barricade said. “She will tell the Autobots of our terms. The humans are more crucial to the plan.” He held up the trapped children in his hands and grinned. “After all, unlike Minicons, they can’t be rebuilt if they’re broken.”

Kevin scowled and struggled to get free, unable to gain enough leverage to use his arms effectively. He looked over at Penny, who looked absolutely terrified but was trying not to panic. All that agonizing over bringing her into the fold and this is the first thing that happens to them. So much for giving Penny her first peaceful contact with an alien race.

XXXXXX

Tracer was a mess when she called the Autobots and children and told them what happened. After losing Kevin and Penny, she ran straight to Optimus and told him of the ultimatum that the Cons issued. When she was finished, the reactions she got weren’t surprising at all.

“So that’s what Kevin needed Grindor for,” Annie said. “To have you help him in telling Penny about us?”

“Yes. Things weren’t going so well for him, so we both figured that it wouldn’t hurt to tell her about everything.” Tracer said sadly.

“What were you thinking, Tracer? We are robots in disguise for a reason, we can’t just go telling our existence to the natives because our friends are having relationship problems.” Prowl scolded her. “Now we have a hostage situation on our hands.”

“Which is why we should be focusing on trying to get them back instead of ripping on Tracer, or did you forget that lives are at stake here?” Sparkplug yelled.

“That’s enough, Sparkplug, Prowl. We need to focus.” Optimus said. He leaned in towards Tracer. “What are their terms?”

“They want all of you to come to an abandoned town in Texas, and they mean everyone.” Tracer said. “They also want you to bring…to bring the Minicons as well, to trade for the children.”

“That’s out of the question.” Prowl said immediately. “If we give you all to the Decepticons, they’ll kill us all on the spot. This planet will be lost!”

“I gotta agree with Prowl. This is way too risky.” Ironhide said.

“Are you all out of your minds? There are children in danger here!” Arcee exclaimed. “Humans who we have sworn to protect.”

“Yeah, we ain’t leavin’ ‘em to the Cons!” Skyfire said, then visibly deflated as she added, “But we can’t give them the Minicons either.”

“We can’t just not do anything, either.” Bumblebee said. “I’m sorry, but I’m not risking anyone’s lives here. I say we locate where they’re keeping the kids and hit the Cons where it hurts.”

“If we do that, then we risk Kevin and Penny getting hurt.” Bulkhead said. “It’s too risky.”

“Bulkhead we are at war. Sometimes, sacrifices must be made in order to maintain the status quo.” Prowl told him. Bulkhead growled and got in Prowl’s face.

“You’re really good at spouting all that greater good slag, but only when it’s not your ass on the fire! Those kids are a part of this as any Autobot.”

“No, they’re kids with no place in this war. I don’t like doing this, Bulkhead, I’m not going to risk the lives of this team and everyone on this planet just to save two people and grant the Decepticons a considerable advantage over us. There is no choice in the matter, because we have an entire world to protect, and losing two humans to save a few billion is a sacrifice I’m willing to make. We need to be soldiers in this situation! We can’t let our Sparks make the hard decisions for us.” Prowl said, not backing down from Bulkhead at all. “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

Bulkhead looked livid. “You unemotional piece of- “

“Bulkhead, Prowl!” Optimus yelled, silencing them. “Yes, giving the Minicons to the Decepticons is not in our best interests, but I refuse to allow innocent human lives to be lost because of their involvement in our war. We are Autobots, protecting life is our main concern, and fighting Decepticons is a secondary issue in this situation.”

“But Prime,” Prowl struggled to reign in his annoyance at the bleeding hearts of his commander and teammates. “We can’t just hand the Minicons to Megatron without at least some kind of failsafe. One wrong move and the Cons-“

“STOP IT!” Sparkplug yelled as loud as he could. “JUST STOP IT RIGHT NOW!”

His outburst shocked the bickering Autobots into silence and they all looked down at the yellow Minicon. Sparkplug glared up at all of them, angrier than he ever felt before.

“Don’t talk about us like we’re fragging weapons of mass destruction! Don’t talk about us like we don’t have voices of our own.” Sparkplug yelled. “This is why we left Cybertron, to escape the loss of identity associated with the Autobots and Decepticons; one side wants to lock us away like we’re doomsday weapons and the other wants to enslave us and use us as weapons. This is why we made the Minicon Gestalt program in the first place, to keep people like all of you from using us as bargaining chips in your god forsaken war!”

“Sparkplug,” Optimus started. “You know we would never- “

“Shut up, Prime! I’m sick of getting sidelined because I’m not fighting on a side like all of you are!” Sparkplug yelled. “I did what I had to do for my people, who have been treated like slag even before the war. And I didn’t risk the lives of my crew so that I could end up being handed over like a trophy case by bots who are supposed to be helping us.”

“Sparkplug…” Tracer whispered in shock.

“I’m not handing over any of my Minicons, but I’m also not going to let those children, who have helped us so many times in the past, get hurt because of this chaos. No matter what, even if I have to go there myself, I’m going to do my part for the humans who helped. You all can stand here and argue until you rust. I don’t care anymore.”

Sparkplug about faced and marched out of the command center. The kids looked at the Autobots, who stood there speechless.

“Guys, he’s right.” Darren said. “We’ve got to think of something that will save everyone, not just one side.”

“And we’re going to help, whether you like it or not.” Annie said.

“Sorry, guys but it’s our fight now. We don’t have time to talk.” Gina finished for all of them.

The kids went to get their pilot suits and plan a rescue operation, but Optimus stopped them. “Children, wait. You are right, we need to act now or risk not being able to make a difference. The Minicons are people too, and I am ashamed that we keep forgetting that fact. Deciding on how to go about this without their input was nothing short of insulting to them.”

“But what can we do?” Skyfire asked. “We don’t even know where they are save for what state they’re in.”

“And we can’t make any moves without risking their lives in the process. The Cons still have the upper hand.” Arcee pointed out.

“You can leave that to us.” Gina said. “I’ve got that covered.”

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Ironhide asked skeptically.

Darren smirked and crossed his arms. “Do you guys have a super advanced android that built three super Talos? No? Didn’t think so.”

“You focus on dealing with the Cons. Let us worry about Kevin and Penny.” Annie promised.

Optimus nodded and looked at his team. “Autobots, we head out in the hour to meet with the Decepticons. I will speak with Sparkplug on what to do. In the meantime, remain on standby.”

Optimus went to go and find Sparkplug; first he needed to apologize to the Minicon leader for not taking his feelings into account. The life of a Minicon is rough, both before and after the war. Next was formulating a plan to get the children back and keep the Minicons out of Decepticon hands. At this, Optimus was confused at why Megatron chose this moment to use the humans as leverage against them. He never made any effort to use them as hostages until now, so what changed?

Had Optimus remained on that train of thought, he would have realized that the answer was right in front of him. The kidnapping, the ransom, the Minicons, they were all a façade to hide the real reason the Cons kidnapped two insignificant human children. Unfortunately, it would be too late when Prime would realize the Decepticons’ intentions.

XXXXXX

Kevin admired Penny for a number of reasons, but his admiration of her grew even more after seeing how calm she was despite being kidnapped by a murderous Decepticon. She sat next to him inside an old warehouse inside an abandoned town in the middle of some desert area. The place reminded him of an old town from those old western movies that his dad used to watch back in the day. An out of the way place, far from any habitation, and with enough space to wage open war without holding back. The only thing that kept him at ease was that there were little to no places where the Cons could hide to stage an ambush, presumably so the Autobots wouldn’t try to do the same.

The warehouse they were imprisoned in was guarded by the Mini-Cons led by Leader-1. The Decepticons, for some reason, were all assembled outside the town, which puzzled Kevin because he thought that they would have split their numbers to at least keep a closer eye on them. Megatron was nowhere to be seen and that was a godsend. Kevin had never seen Megatron, but from the horror stories that the others told about the warlord, he was glad that he didn’t get the chance.

“So,” Kevin said with a whistle. “How’s your day?”

Penny stifled a chuckle. “Don’t bother trying to make things better than they really are, Kevin. I know we’re in deep trouble.”

Kevin sighed. “Yeah, we’re in deep trouble.”

Penny looked outside at the Decepticons assembled not too far from the town. “So those scary looking robots are the evil Decepticons you were warning me about?”

During their incarceration, Kevin had used the quiet moment to properly explain the situation to Penny. He went into detail about the war, the stranded Cybertronians, even OZ and the Brigadoon incident that gave the children their Talos. All in all, it was so much for Penny to understand, but she quickly adapted to the situation like she always does. Seeing the Decepticons first hand helped also.

“Yeah, they’re the ones trying to conquer Terra for its resources.” Kevin confirmed.

“I can’t believe you managed to hide all this from me….and with Gina of all people!” She grunted and crossed her arms. “Damn it, I can’t top her making first contact with aliens.”

“We’re being held hostage, and the first thing you’re mad about is that Gina got the jump on you?” Kevin smiled and shook his head. “You’re too much, Penny.”

“Well, my dad always said that you were the only one crazy enough to brave through the hurricane that is me.” Penny chuckled. After a minute of silence, she said, “Kevin, I’m sorry about before. I probably should’ve realized that you were trying to keep me safe. This is definitely not something for the faint of heart.”

“I’m sorry that you felt insulted and left out. I didn’t realize I was snubbing you like that.” Kevin apologized. “We’ve been through thick and thin together, long before we met Darren, Annie and Gina. I wasn’t going to just leave all that behind.”

“I know that now. But you know me, wildfire Penny is a bitch to handle even on a sunny day.” She sighed. Penny groaned and leaned her head onto Kevin’s shoulder. She lamented her unfavorable situation, but at least she was stuck with Kevin, so it wasn’t a total loss. “Do you think we’ll get out of this in one piece?”

Of course we will.” Kevin reassured her. “The Autobots will not let anyone down like that, especially one of their own. This I can promise you.”

“Well then, I’ll hold you to that.” Penny replied and closed her eyes. It was going to be a long day.

XXXXXX

On the edge of the old abandoned town where they were scheduled to meet, Nightshade waited impatiently for the Autobots to arrive. It had been an hour since they started the operation and she could already feel her patience start to run thin. Scowling, she turned to Knockout, who was grimaced at her imposing gaze.

“Knockout, I thought you said that they would be here within the hour.” She said.

“They will, my lady, they’re probably still trying to gather their Minicons. I imagine those little freaks don’t fancy being sold for two humans, hehe…” Knockout cleared his throat and looked away.

Nightshade scowled and Flamewar tapped her shoulder. “What is it?”

“I can feel Arcee’s presence. They’re close.” Flamewar grinned. “If she’s here, then the others are close behind.”

“Great!” Knockout exclaimed. “Places everyone, it’s almost show time.”

A ground bridge appeared in the arid expanse of rocky desert and the Autobots drove out in their vehicle modes. They stopped a few feet from Nightshade’s group and changed to their bipedal modes, all in attendance, even Ratchet. The Minicons exited Prime’s trailer, where they hid until the chosen meeting time. Nightshade smiled at the little glares they gave her as she walked forward to address the Autobot leader.

“You certainly took your damn time. We don’t all have clear schedules like you do, Prime. There is a war going on after all.” Nightshade said to Optimus. “Now hand over the Minicons.”

“Give us the kids first.” Bumblebee demanded.

“That’s not how this works, scout. Hand them over before people get hurt.” Blackout growled.

“You can try, whiteout.” Bulkhead grunted, almost shifting his hands into their weapons.

“Need I remind you all that if any of you think of doublecrossing us, those children will end up as Scalpel’s lab experiments?” Nightshade told Optimus. “Have your soldier boys stand down and hand over the Minicons. I think they’re overdue for a reunion with their kin, don’t you agree?”

Optimus looked at his team, who were all itching to bring out their weapons. Then he looked to Sparkplug, who was sitting on his shoulder looking calm as ever. Sparkplug glanced over at Optimus and nodded to his unspoken question, showing that he was ready. Optimus exhaled sharply and returned his nod, but first he had to make sure of one thing.

“Where is Megatron, Nightshade?” He asked. Optimus would’ve thought the Decepticon leader himself would’ve at least been here to gloat of his victory over them.

“He’s preoccupied. Contrary to what you might think, he has other things to do than play war with you Prime.” Nightshade said harshly.

Optimus didn’t buy that. Megatron wouldn’t just blow off a victory like this over his enemies, especially pass up a chance to lord over him. This was a hostage situation that played to his favor, there was no way anything else could be more important. Something wasn’t right here.

XXXXXX

In the warehouse, Penny whistled as she saw the exchange between the two factions of aliens engaged in a little standoff. “I’m guessing those are the good guys?”

Yeah, that’s Optimus Prime and the Autobots.” Kevin said. “And it looks like they brought the Minicons along as well. But what for?”

“To get you humans back of course.” Leader-1 walked out from his place in the shadows, flanked by Rumble and Frenzy. “Why else would he drag those anti-war rejects out here into this dust bowl?”

“Optimus would never do that! He wouldn’t risk the Minicons’ lives for two humans!” Kevin growled, steam blowing from his nose.

“He would if your lives were threatened. If there’s one weakness that the great Optimus Prime has, it’s that he has a bleeding Spark for everything that breathes.” Leader-1 replied. “For all the powers you amalgams have, you’re no different than regular humans. To think that there’s a civil conflict going on because of people like you. It’s just pathetic.”

Penny glared at the Mini-Con and moved closer to Kevin. “Think you can take him?”

“Maybe Leader-1, but not all of them at once. Rumble would snap me in two and Frenzy’s scream sounds like Annie on a bad day.”

“Don’t even think about it.” Leader-1 pointed his blaster at them. “One move and we’ll see how much body mass an amalgam can regenerate. You might regrow limbs, but I hear you can still feel pain.”

“How about we get Cannonbolt to snap their bones?” Rumble grinned. “Megatron never said we couldn’t do that.”

“Yeah, I want to smash something!” Cannonbolt yelled and beat his chest with his large fists.

“No, you idiots! If we hurt them now without provocation, then the whole operation will be ruined.” Leader-1 snarled, astonished at how these fools worked closely with Soundwave. “Try to show some restraint you morons.”

Kevin and Penny couldn’t try to escape even if they tried. They were outnumbered and outgunned, with no one privy to their location. Penny wasn’t religious, but she hoped that whatever divine force that governed the universe heard her prayers and got them out of this mess.

Her prayers were answered when a green haired girl crashed through the ceiling and landed in front of Leader-1. Sara slugged Leader-1 in the stomach, spinning his head around and kicking him into an old wooden support beam. She turned back to the two children.

“Are you two functional?” Sara asked.

“Y-yes, Sara we’re doing fine, thanks.” Kevin said. His eyes widened. “Look out!”

Sara dodged a strike from Rumble’s pile drivers and crouched low, kicking his knee so hard it shattered the joint. She then slammed her fist into the Con’s chin and sent him flying back into the pile of debris behind him. Frenzy flanked her and unleashed his sonic scream at her, but she quickly sprinted out of the path of his scream and ran at him. He cut his scream off and converted his hand into a drill, but she grabbed his arm and buried her steel knuckles into his cheek, making energon gush from his mouth and cracked his optic visor before she axe-kicked him into the ground.

Kevin and Penny ran to join her, but Kevin jumped back as a laser bolt hit the ground near his feet. Leader-1 pulled himself to his feet and glared at them.

“Stop right there!” He growled, pointing his gun at Kevin’s head. “I told you what would happen if you brats tried anything, and now you’re gonna pay for it. Cannonbolt, kill them all!”

“I’m gonna tear you apart, fleshy!” Cannonbolt grunted and charged at Sara.

Before he could raise a fist, a large black and white talos came crashing through the roof of the warehouse and landed on the ground. The Enyo backhanded Cannonbolt aside with a large hand and sent the Minicon through the wall and into the building next door. The Prometheus and Athena both smashed their way into the warehouse and pointed their weapons at Leader-1.

“Don’t try anything, Leader-1. These beam rifles really hurt if they hit you.” Annie warned.

“But you’re welcome to try anyway. I’m itching for a rematch since Egyptia.” Gina growled.

“Gina?” Penny gaped.

“Hey Penny,” Gina chirped. In the cockpit, the blonde was grinning like a lunatic at the awestruck expression on her rival’s face. “How’d like my new ride?”

Penny stared at the Talos for a minute before glaring at Kevin. “Explain!”

“L-Later, Penny, later.” Kevin coughed sheepishly.

“You better.” She grumbled.

“As amusing as this comedy routine is,” Darren said. “We should get out while we still can. Annie, did you send Optimus the signal?”

As soon as he said that, explosions went off not too far from their position. Annie grinned at her brother through their monitor. “That answer your question?”

“What’s going on?” Kevin asked.

“We’re rescuing you while the Autobots take care of the Cons with the Minicons.” Gina said. “It took us a while, but Sara was able to find you by locating your heat signatures.”

Leader-1 began to laugh, drawing the kids’ attention. Annie pointed her beam rifle at the Minicon. “What the hell are you laughing about?”

“You think you actually pulled one over on us?” Leader-1 cackled. “Please, we pulled one over on you!”

“Getting fooled must mean something entirely different on Cybertron, because we’re the ones with the upper hand here.” Darren said. “You didn’t get the Minicons, and we got our friends back.”

“It was never completely about the Minicons, you stupid boy.” Leader-1 spat and looked at Athena. “Did you think we were going to let Lugnut’s death go unpunished, girl? Lugnut being killed by a human is a stain on Decepticon honor and Megatron’s not going to let that stand. Why do you think we went through all the trouble to bring those brats here? Because we knew you would save them!”

Darren felt a pit form in his stomach at the revelation and turned towards Sara. “Sara, scan the area now!”

“D-Darren?” Annie blinked.

“We need to get out of here right now!” Darren yelled. “We just walked into a trap!”

Sara ran a quick grid scan over the area, focusing on the warehouse interior. When she processed the information at the speed of thought, her eyes widened and she leapt back from Leader-1, grabbing Kevin and Penny. “We must go, at once!”

The pile of junk and scraps exploded as a silver tank rolled out into the open. The children stared in shock as the tank transformed into a towering silver giant with a large fusion cannon on his arm. Megatron stood to his full height above the three talos, his face hard as stone as he glared at the three humans

“Time for my retribution.” Megatron sneered.

XXXXXX

The plan was a simple divide and conquer strategy. The Autobots, who were required to go to the meeting point with the Minicons, would focus on stalling the Cons for as long as possible until the kids and Sara located Kevin and Penny. Once the kids sent the signal, the Autobots were to start the battle and maintain it as long as possible until they secured the hostages and fell back from the area.

The first part, locating and rescuing Kevin and Penny, was complete. Now came phase 2-raise some hell.

“Optimus, we’ve got the signal!”

Optimus wasted no time in initiating their part of the plan. “Autobots, powerlink and attack!”

Sparkplug linked up with Optimus, connecting to his arm to bring out his battle blade. Roadstorm linked with Jazz’s arm to convert the limb into his cryo-emitter. Peppercat powerlinked with Arcee, changing the femme’s right arm into a semi-gauntlet that generated electricity. Longarm linked with Ratchet and transformed his hand into a more powerful version of his laser scalpel. Prowl linked with Tracer to change his arm into a high powered tazer. Bumblebee linked with Jolt to summon his solar accelerator and Skyfire linked with Comettor for a power boost. Bulkhead, Ironhide and Wheeljack teamed up with the newly merged Centurion while the Air Defense Team combined into the omni-saber.

Nightshade was also quick to retaliate. “Decepticons, route the enemy!”

Autobots and Decepticons charged at each other in a storm of lasers, missiles and bullets. Amidst the battle royal, Arcee and Flamewar clashed with their melee weapons. Flamewar’s arm blades slid out and she tried to slit Arcee’s throat, but the Autobot leaned back to avoid the blades and punched Flamewar in the chest with her gauntlet, delivering a painful shock to the femme.

“And so you have another partner.” Flamewar sneered, wincing at the shock to her abdomen. She definitely felt that one. “What happened, Cee? Got tired of your human boy toy?”

“No, he just got an upgrade. If you ask nicely, he’ll give you an up close look!” Arcee leapt at Flamewar and threw a punch at her face. Flamewar jumped back and raised her arm, converting it into a blaster and shot at the Autobot. She scored a few hits off Arcee’s shoulder before the pink Autobot charged at her and kicked her in the face.

Starscream saw the two femmes fighting and pointed his null ray at Arcee. He could care less about Flamewar’s lover’s squabble, she was a thorn in his side and taking her kill would be the ultimate “frag you” to the snarky little glitch.

“No you don’t, Starscream!” Jazz jumped to his partner’s aid, kicking Starscream’s arm aside just as the Seeker fired his null ray. The null beam was diverted off its original target and almost hit Knockout, who was engaged in a difficult battle against Ratchet. Knockout yelped as the beam shot over his head and glared at Starscream.

“What the hell, Starscream?” Knockout yelled.

“Don’t look at me, you weren’t my target!” Starscream shouted back.

“You better watch where you’re shooting that thing or-wah!” Knockout stumbled back to avoid Ratchet’s enhanced laser scalpel, which was basically a high powered chemical laser that was more than enough to shave a few inches off him. “Watch the finish!”

“Please, Knockout,” Ratchet scoffed. “Any damage I do to you will be an improvement.”

Starscream and Jazz fought with their respective melee weapons. As unused to close combat as he was, Starscream was very proficient in his cobalt bayonets, able to match Jazz’s fast attacks with his nunchucks. Starscream easily parried most of his attacks, but Jazz kicked one of his arms aside and kicked him in the chin. Another blow to the face sent him spinning to the ground.

“Agh! Seekers, to me!” Starscream shouted.

Thundercracker and Skywarp descended on Jazz, attacking him with melee weapons and long rang laser blasts. Jazz, who only had one arm available, wasn’t able to fight them both off, but Skyfire came to his aid and quickly took out Skywarp with a well placed photon blast to the face. Jazz flipped over the femme and fired his cryo blaster at Thundercracker, who retreated to avoid the hazardous ice blasts.

Nightshade scowled at seeing the Cons be so evenly matched with the Autobots. Even Blackout, who was linked with Cannon, was having a difficult time pinning down Wheeljack and Bulkhead, held at bay by the combined firepower of the two Autobots.

“Songbird, link with me.” The Minicon did so and as she was empowered by the linkage, Nightshade took out Gandiva and pointed the bow at Wheeljack and Bulkhead. Just as she pulled the string back, she was attacked by Optimus, who nearly took her head off with his red hot sword that left a smoking cut in her cheek.

“Try fighting someone whose back isn’t turned, Nightshade.” Optimus said.

“You’re one to talk.” Nightshade spun around and deflected an axe strike from Ironhide with Gandiva and kicked him aside before rolling under an electrical blast from Prowl and slammed her bow into the side of his head. “Three on one is hardly a fair fight!”

Optimus swung his sword, which she dodged, but his follow up punch caught her in the face, knocking her down. Gandiva slid from her grasp, but she pointed her targetmaster Minicon at Prime’s face and fired a concentrated electromagnetic blast right into his face. He stumbled back and she jumped to her feet, evading a swipe from Prowl’s shock baton and punching him in the chest. Ironhide rammed into her from the side and threw her to the ground. She unloaded another blast into his face, but he maintained a firm hold on her.

“Get off me!” She growled, taking one of her feathers and stabbing him in the shoulder, right between his armor panels. The razor sharp feather dug into his joint, severing circuits and cutting into a power line that actually made Ironhide flinch. Feeling his hold on her waist loosen up, Nightshade fired another blast into his shoulder and blew him off. She jumped up, but took a plasma blast to her right wing from behind, making her curse.

“Don’t move, Nightshade.” Prowl said, leveling his plasma cannon at her face. “You’ve lost this round. Call off your troops and fall back.”

“Hehe.” Nightshade chuckled, making Prowl frown.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just amusing at how you think you have us beat.” She laughed. “Did it ever cross your mind at Megatron’s whereabouts? Megatron isn’t lounging around on the Nemesis, he’s just taking care of unfinished business with those human pets you drag around everywhere.”

“No,” Optimus muttered.

“Yes.” Nightshade smirked. She reached out and Gandiva levitated into her hand like some magic trick. “As we speak, Megatron is tearing those children apart, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

XXXXXX

W-where are we going?!” Penny asked, trying to remain upright as Sara carried her and Kevin away from the warehouse like sacks of potatoes. “We have to help them!”

“My orders were to ensure that you two were taken to safety and that is what I intend to do.” Sara said. “I will not disobey Ms. Gina.”

‘Ms. Gina? What the hell has been going on behind my back?’ Penny thought.

The warehouse behind them suddenly exploded as the Prometheus was thrown out of the old building and crashed to the ground next to the trio. The red and gold talos was just thrown almost the entire length of the street by Megatron.

“Darren?” Kevin breathed.

Darren groaned and shook his head. Getting thrown almost four feet by a Decepticon was a scary experience and he felt like he would’ve been thrown from his seat had it not been for his stable pilot seat. He moved his talos to stand upright and charged back into the battle between the girls and Megatron.

The warehouse was completely destroyed as the metal giants did battle. Megatron, stronger than the average Decepticon, was a force of nature as he brutally tossed around the Athena and Enyo. Gina tried to gain some distance to use her sniper rifle, but Megatron slammed a fist into her talos’ shoulder and sent it into a tavern. Enyo tried to fire her beam cannons but Megatron grabbed her arm and threw it across the town into what used to be a hotel.

Megatron pointed his fusion cannon at her, but Darren fell on him with his beam saber drawn. He slashed downward, but Megatron sidestepped him and punched Prometheus in the back. Darren hit the ground and quickly threw up a TK barrier around his talos as Megatron shot a fusion blast at him. Megatron ramped up the power in his fusion cannon to overpower the boy, but Athena jumped on his back and shoved its beam pistol into his face, shooting condensed blasts of sol particles into his face.

Megatron roared and grabbed Athena’s head, throwing it over his shoulder before tossing it into the house next to him. “Did you humans think I forgotten your transgressions against me? No one kills one of us and gets away with it. Shooting down one of my own troops in front of me will be the last regret you will ever have!”

“My only regret is not shooting you in the face when I had the chance!” Gina said.

Megatron snarled and grabbed the Athena to punch its torso in, but a large beam blast hit him in the shoulder. A large chunk of armor was blasted off his body and he was pushed back by the force of the blast. Hissing at the smoking burnt hole in his shoulder, he glared at Annie, who had her beam cannons aimed at him.

“Get away from my friend!” Annie yelled.

The Decepticon leader accepted her challenge and his body collapsed into his tank mode just as she fired another pair of beams at her. Blowing steam from his exhaust ports, Megatron drove at her at full speed, moving faster than terran made tanks as he fired his fusion cannon at her. Annie tried to stand her ground, but she was forced to glide back as he pursued her relentlessly. This gave Darren and Gina time to regroup.

“Gina, are you alright?” Darren asked.

“I’m okay, but what about Kevin and Penny?” Gina called her android defender up. “Sara?”

_“We are fine, Ms. Gina. I have taken the two children away from the battle. Are you in need of assistance?”_

“We’re fine, Sara. Just call Teletran for a ground bridge and get them out of here!” Darren said.

Megatron and Annie were grappling now, and it was clear that the warlord was the stronger one in this exchange. Annie tried to get her talos to grab and lift him into the air with her, but he broke the deadlock and grabbed her unit’s head, punching it to the ground with a solid right hook. Annie was thrown around in her seat and cursed as she made Enyo glide back to avoid getting stomped on. Megatron growled and pointed his fusion cannon directly at her cockpit.

“Annie!” Darren shot forward and deflected Megatron’s fusion blast away from his sister with a TK barrier before drawing his beam saber. He pushed Prometheus’ thrusters to the max as he rushed at Megatron and stabbed him in the chest with his beam saber.

Megatron’s red eyes blazed in pain and anger as the beam saber stabbed right through his chest plate and out his back. Darren missed his Spark core, but the fact he almost dealt the Decepticon leader a critical blow further enraged the warlord. Grabbed Prometheus by the shoulders, Megatron slammed the talos in the ground repeatedly, before kicking it into a stable.

Enyo punched Megatron in the jaw, but he retaliated with a punch that almost tore its head off its shoulders, batting it aside as he focused on Gina, who was rushing at him. She dodged a shot from his fusion cannon and flanked him, grabbing his shoulders and pushing her thrusters to the limit just to lift him high enough.

Gina let him go and prepared to fire her sniper rifle into his chest, but Megatron moved faster than her. He slammed his fist into Athena’s chest, rattling the cockpit with tremendous force and sent her shooting across town into what was left of the warehouse, sending debris and wood everywhere. Megatron landed on the ground and walked up to the dazed girl, standing over her motionless and trapped talos.

“Ugh…” Gina was barely conscious from the hard G-forces her talos took head on and hit her head during the crash. She looked through blurry eyes at the monitor and saw Megatron glaring down at her.

“Time to meet your maker, girl.” Megatron’s blade slid out and he went to stab it straight into the cockpit…when a large energy ball crashed into the back of his head.

Sara jumped down on his head from above and brought her laser sword from one of her arms. She stabbed into the back of his neck repeatedly, avoiding Megatron’s large hands as she distracted him. Then Centurion, wielding the omni-saber, attacked Megatron’s legs, stabbing his sword into his left leg and emitting strong vibrations from the blade that blew off a chunk of armor from the mech’s foreleg. Megatron howled and slammed his fist into the ground, but missed Centurion as he jumped away. Sara flipped over his shoulder and onto his face before stabbing her blade into his right eye.

“RAH!” Megatron howled as she stabbed his eye out. Sara was brutally thorough as she tore out his optic nerve, ripping it right out of its socket. She jumped off him as he fell to his knees, holding a hand to his bleeding eye. “You little bastards! I’ll kill you all!”

“Not in this lifetime, Megatron!”

A fist slammed into his face from his blindside and sent him smashing through a ravaged building. Optimus picked Megatron up and punched his chest before kicking him onto his back. He stood protectively in front of Gina as he glared down at Megatron.

“These children are off-limits Megatron,” Optimus said. “And as we speak, my Autobots are chasing your Decepticons with their tails between their legs. Your little scheme has failed.”

“Keep on protecting them, Prime. Sooner or later, you’re going to see how unreliable those humans you trust so much are, just like every god forsaken race in this galaxy!” Megatron hissed before transforming into his tank mode. “And when they do fail you at your darkest hour, I will be there to laugh at your folly!”

“Read that soliloquy to Nightshade, Megatron.” Optimus said.

One didn’t need to see Megatron’s face to know he was fuming at Prime’s comment. Thankfully, Megatron turned and drove away, smashing through the remains of the old western town that was completely demolished by the battle. With the threat gone, Optimus turned to Gina.

“Gina, are you okay?” He asked.

Gina exited her cockpit and sat on her talos’ knee. “I’m fine. Just…jinkies, that was really intense.”

As Darren and Annie went to check up on Gina, Optimus let out a sigh of relief. He made it just in time. Trying to escape Nightshade’s powerful arrows was harder than he thought and he had the burns to prove it.

_“Prime, the Cons are retreating.”_ Ironhide said over the comm. _“Are things alright on your end?”_

“Yes, Ironhide, everything’s fine here. The children are okay, all of them.” Optimus said, feeling a sense of pride at how the children held their own against Megatron. Maybe the Decepticon warlord will think twice about harming the children now.

XXXXXX

After taking a breather from their first major Autobot/Decepticon skirmish, Kevin took Penny around to show her the Ark. He smiled at the awestruck look on Penny’s face as she studied every inch of the ship. He introduced her to the Autobots and Minicons, whom she thanked for saving their lives and taking the time to welcome them to Terra, out of courtesy if nothing else.

As for Darren, Annie and Gina, they were resting from their battle against Megatron. Even within the secure cockpits of their talos, being beaten and thrown around by the dark lord himself would give anyone a head splitting migraine. They gave the duty of introducing Penny to the crazy world of the cybertronians to Kevin. He didn’t mind; they went through a lot today and deserved some rest.

Once things calmed down, Kevin and Penny had a private moment together in the “Micron” room for humans and Minicons. They sat alone, saying nothing, just taking a minute to calm down from all the excitement the day brought.

“I can see why you’d want to keep this a secret.” Penny remarked. “This stuff is way too intense for anyone to know about.”

“It’s definitely intense and way too dangerous too.” Kevin said. “But everything turned out alright in the end. As long as we’re more careful, things should go by smoothly for us again.”

Penny hummed in agreement and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Kevin raised a brow at her, but let her relax. “I’m sorry for giving you such a hard time. If I knew you were keeping a secret this big, then-“

“It wouldn’t be much of a secret. You already apologized, Penny. Right now, let’s just enjoy the peace and quiet before someone inevitably walks in and ruins the moment.” Kevin said.

“So we’re cool?” She asked.

He nodded. “We’re cool.”

They shared a smile and relax against each other, not even noticing that their hands were intertwined. It was a quiet ending to a noisy day.


	29. Hearts of Iron

Chapter 28-Hearts of Iron

Ironhide stood across from Optimus with his arms raised in a boxing stance. He had his left foot forward and bent, with his right leg slightly behind his left for lower stability. Optimus was in the same position, though he was hopping from foot to foot in place, ready to move quickly on a dime if need be. It was a habit he inherited from Jazz, way back when they used to train together.

The two Autobots were in the training room having a little spar, for old times’ sake if nothing else. Ironhide had actively searched Optimus out to have one with the Prime, saying that he needed a real workout if he wanted to stay in shape. Optimus thought it strange, seeing as nothing was wrong with Ironhide’s current technique, but refrained from questioning him and agreed to fight. Even at his advanced age, Ironhide was still no slouch when it came to fighting. Perhaps it was because of another reason. Optimus would not pry into where he was not wanted, but he hoped Ironhide would tell him in time.

At an unspoken signal, Ironhide rushed forward and attacked with a one-two combo, which Optimus blocked with his arms, and lashed out with a kick. Ironhide jumped back and did a low kick to sweep Prime’s legs from under him. It worked, but Optimus put all his weight into his back and used his legs to kick forward, using the momentum to propel himself upwards, catching Ironhide in the chest, knocking Ironhide back and off balance.

Ironhide quickly righted himself, but Optimus didn’t give him time to recover, as he rushed at Ironhide with a flurry of punches. Ironhide put up his guard, but he grunted as Optimus’s punches caused his arms to rattle from the force behind them. Sure, the red Autobot was known for having denser armor than most Autobots, while not losing most of his mobility, but Optimus was also known for his immense strength. When putting the two elements together, Ironhide’s armor could only take so much damage before he fell under Prime’s relentless assault. He waited for Optimus to dish out another punch, but just as the leader reared back for another punch, Ironhide jumped up and did a spin kick at Prime’s chest.

The kick connected, but to his surprise, Optimus grabbed his leg and hauled his body off the ground in an amazing feat of strength. With a grunt, Optimus threw Ironhide to the floor and pinned him twisting an arm behind the mech’s back and putting all his weight onto his legs so he didn’t have any leverage to move. Ironhide struggled, but found that he couldn’t move, and reluctantly gave the match to Optimus.

“Fine,” He grunted. “You win. Now get the hell off me.”

Optimus got off Ironhide and helped his friend up. “That was a good fight, Ironhide. You’re still durable as ever.”

“And you’re still hard as hell to take down. Seriously, what is it with young bots like you jumping around like Petro-rabbit, hopping all over the place?” Ironhide grumbled. “What ever happened to the good old days when you just stood in place and beat each senseless?”

“Things change, Ironhide. That’s how life is.” Optimus replied. “Let’s take a break. We’ve been at this all morning.”

“I can still keep going, Prime.”

“You have recon coming up, and it won’t do for you to be running on a half empty tank in the field.”

Ironhide frowned but conceded and allowed the Prime to take him for a drink. As they walked through the vast halls of the Ark, Optimus wondered why Ironhide wanted to train so much. Ironhide was a persistent and diligent soldier, always checking on his weapons to make sure they were operational, always training hard in the sparring room to sharpen his age old skills. But lately he was a bit too focused on training, and spent a lot of time at the energon bar drinking in solitude. Whenever he was like this, it usually meant that something was bothering him. And Ironhide wasn’t the type to talk about his feelings, but Optimus wasn’t known for giving up before he tried.

“Ironhide, is something wrong?” Optimus asked. Ironhide frowned at the question.

“No, Prime. I’m doing fine.” He answered. “I’m healthy as a lamb.”

“It’s not your health I’m worried about, Ironhide. You’re only this active off duty when something is on your mind. Just tell me, I can help.”

Ironhide grunted and rubbed his forehead. “Just…feelin’ a bit self conscious, Prime. Spendin’ too much time by myself and my thoughts just get to me. Age isn’t my best friend right now and it’s startin’ to show.”

“Your age has no effect on your skills as a soldier, Ironhide. If Kup is able to keep going despite his physical limitations, then you should have no problem either.” Optimus said.

Ironhide said nothing, simply scowling. It was a common insecurity he had that only a few people were aware of. Age among cybertronians was a rare concern, seeing as many could just retrofit new parts onto their frames and call it a day. In fact, only a handful of Autobots and Decepticons fighting in the war still had their whole pre-war body frames, unaltered and untouched by the ravages of war and time. They could add new parts to their bodies and make themselves shiny and new, but cybertronians were far from immortal. Their Sparks were like miniature suns, they could live for millions of years, but eventually they grew smaller before shrinking out of existence.

People like Ironhide and Kup were old, Golden Age old, and they were at a point in their lives where their bodies weren’t as responsive as they were back when the space bridges were still operational. Times changed, but they didn’t, and sometimes when things were quite and they were left alone, they would suddenly remember that their lifetime of combat experience meant only so much in a changing universe, and that their bodies were only as good as they were so long as they stayed within their limits. Ironhide was nowhere near as old as Kup, but he was getting up there in years and he often wondered if he would still be relevant in the coming cycles.

‘That is, if they survive to see the end of the war.’ Optimus thought morbidly. “Ironhide, let’s have something to drink. I’m paying.”

“Prime, we don’t have to pay anything.”

“I know, but I know you like hearing it.”

Ironhide grinned at Optimus and punched his shoulder. “Cheeky bastard.” Ironhide didn’t want pity, but he welcomed a chance to have a drink with a good friend.

Looking at Prime now, he had to marvel at how far they had come together. Back during the Decepticon Uprising, things were much different between them. The Autobots were just a security force made to fight the Decepticon terrorists who were sowing seeds of dissent among the populace. Ironhide had joined the force after leaving the state militia from Praxus along with Prowl, and he was absolutely disgusted by how haphazard the Autobots looked. Most of them didn’t even know how to handle a gun, let alone fight against seasoned warriors and murderers, and they were all led by this kid, Orion Pax, who had connections with Zeta Prime. For a veteran like Ironhide, it was insulting to think that these bots who couldn’t tell their aft from their afterburner was Cybertron’s first and only defense against the growing tides of war.

Ironhide didn’t hide his disdain for Orion Pax. He considered the mech an upstart from the beginning and was not afraid to criticize him for nearly every decision he made, from his recruitment choices to his style of fighting. His tactics may have worked on the police force, but things were different in the military. He made it clear to Pax that he thought that he wasn’t a solid leader that could handle something as big as this, but despite all the insults he threw at the mech, Pax never once yelled back in anger. If anything, he took Ironhide’s words into account, listening, rebutting and them acting on the criticisms. Ironhide didn’t know when or how, but soon he was at Orion’s side acting as his mentor in warfare and leadership, using his knowledge to help forge the Autobots into a force people could put their faith in (which was hard considering the growing distrust of the senate and its associated forces).

He didn’t know when things changed between them for good. Perhaps it was when they were raiding that Decepticon cell hiding in Tesarus Minor. They walked right into an ambush thanks to some faulty info, and the Autobots were forced to retreat to avoid taking on any casualties. Orion, ever the hero, had stayed behind to cover their escape. He blew up the bridge that connected the small plate of land to the rest of the metal continent-with himself still on it. Ironhide was barely able to keep Orion from falling to his death, and nearly scrapped himself in the process. As he recalled, it took them two hours to climb back up to the surface, all while trying to avoid getting devoured by stray scraplets that lingered just a few feet beneath the surface.

When he asked Orion why he did that, with a straight face Orion replied, “How can I ask any of my soldiers to do what I am perfectly capable of doing myself? I would never do that to any of my friends, and that includes you.”

Ironhide grinned as he remembered how he just stared at Pax for a solid minute before clocking him in the face and passing out. How could anyone be so selfless? He had personally vowed to stay close to Orion as his bodyguard, considering how he was such a high profile figure, but he layered that under an excuse of making sure that Pax didn’t get himself killed being a hero.

“Optimus, Ironhide!” Sparkplug ran up to the two mechs with a look of urgency.

“Yes, Sparkplug?” Optimus said.

“Teletran just detected another stasis panel!” Sparkplug said.

Optimus and Ironhide shared a glance before Optimus said, “Looks like we’ll have to put the drinks on hold.”

XXXXXX

Ironhide wondered how Ratchet and Gina were able to work so well together. They only knew each other for a few months and they already work as a coherent unit. Hell, even the Autobot cadets he trained didn’t get this organized after months of training, and he ran a tight ship.

The pair were working at a Teletran-1 terminal to bring up the location of the stasis panel they were looking for. Downloading pictures from Gina’s computer, Ratchet brought it on the larger screen.

“We found this on the internet an hour ago.” Gina said. “It’s a picture showing an annual festival in Azadistan.”

The image showed a parade, where men in white robes were leading a crowd of people through the streets. In the center of the throng of people were four carriers holding a large platform with a golden chest on it. On the sides of the chest was a familiar symbol engraved into the gold.

“A Minicon symbol, that’s definitely it.” Ironhide nodded. “But is the actual panel in there? The last thing we need is to go rushing in on a wild Turbofox chase.”

In response to that, Gina brought up another image; this one was of the priests praying in front of an altar, while the head priest held up a small blue and green object to those in attendance. The image resolution was garbage, as was often the case in these photos, but the Autobots could tell it from shape alone. It was definitely a stasis panel.

“When was this picture taken?” Optimus asked.

“A little over a year ago, turns out the panel was considered to be a sacred relic by the people of Azadistan.” Ratchet said. “These photos who the priests transporting it from temple to temple during their annual celebration as per their customs. It’s rare for any pictures to be taken of this event, much less of them in action during their prayers, which is why we’re just noticing this now.”

“Then we better get a move on before the Cons sniff it out before us.” Ironhide said. Though the Cons’ only spy on the team was gone, they couldn’t let their guard down in regards to leads like this.

“Not so fast, Ironhide. Azadistan is in the Middle East, and it’s a total warzone.” Gina said. “The kingdom itself is a hotbed for insurgents and civil conflicts, which only add on to the nation’s social and economic strife. It’s not a safe place to be, especially if you’re a foreigner, and it’s also the last place you want to be holding alien robot death matches.”

“To make things even more complicated, the country is one of Karaba’s staging grounds in that part of the world.” Ratchet added.

“Karaba,” Ironhide grunted. “They’re those pro-esper terrorists, right?”

“The very same.” Gina nodded. “They rolled in last year and wasted no time in entrenching themselves into Azadistan’s hierarchy, just a month after Queen Marina Ibrahim’s coronation. It’s an open secret that the queen negotiated with Karaba, offering sanctuary in her country in return for protection from neighboring countries looking to start any trouble with them.”

“She made a deal with terrorists?” Ironhide frowned.

“It wasn’t by choice. Azadistan was barely holding itself together thanks to being in the middle of two warring countries that sought their resources and territory. The last thing the queen needed was to have Karaba rolling in and causing more destruction to promote their views. If anything, she’s using them as a deterrent to keep other nations at bay, including Osea.” Gina said firmly. She knew the queen was a good person, she was just forced to do things in order to save her people. It was an honorable thing to do, something not many leaders can prove these days. “And I should also mention that the panel disappeared from its place at the temple around the same time Karaba appeared.”

Optimus crossed his arms. “I doubt that’s a coincidence.”

“It’s not. Karaba probably has the panel in their position and is using it as leverage against the Azadistan government.” Ratchet deduced.

Optimus nodded and thought of how to safely approach this. A place like Azadistan was the last place he wanted a team going to, since all the fighting and chaos made it hard to properly work in secret. Karaba was another matter entirely with its own problems. “Stealth will be paramount on this mission. Ironhide, you’re with me on this one. We’ll gather information on the panel to confirm it’s still in the area.”

“Yes, Prime.” Ironhide nodded.

“I know you don’t need to hear this, Optimus, but be careful. Karaba may not be as bad as OZ, but they’re still dangerous.” Gina wanted to hammer in just how dangerous Karaba is. “They’re hostile to any and all humans, since many of them were abused by humans. Some might even attack you on sight.”

“We can handle it, kid. Our holomatters can take any punishment those yahoos can give.” Ironhide said carelessly, but Gina shook her head.

“You don’t understand, there are all kinds of espers in Karaba and one of them might be a telepath. If they scan your holomatter, then they might learn that you’re not human. And in a place like Azadistan, they probably have some powerful espers in their ranks.” Gina explained, deadly serious. “Any esper Beta level and above is dangerous, so be careful out there and don’t start a fight if you can avoid it.”

“Thank you for your concern, Gina. We will watch our backs.” Optimus said kindly. “But depending on how this mission goes, we might cross paths with Karaba regardless. Should that happen, we will improvise.”

“Now that we’re done with debriefing,” Ironhide cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck. “Let’s say we get a move on before we lose daylight? We got a Minicon to save.”

XXXXXX

The kingdom of Azadistan was a small nation located near the central region of the area between Emmeria and Usea called the Middle East. Like much of the region, Azadistan was constantly embroiled in a struggle for survival, either from the elements or their fellow man, who seem keen on wiping out the small country. The stress of the current political and social decay in the kingdom were present on the faces of the people, decadent expressions that Ironhide recognized all too well from his time hunting for Cons in the city of Nyon back on Cybertron.

Optimus and Ironhide drove through the crowded streets of Azadistan’s capital city, Anzu, in their vehicle forms with holomatters in their driver’s seats. Despite it being one of the largest and most advanced cities in the nation, it gave off a feeling of holding more people than it physically could. It was evident they were still suffering the effects of the Gulf War instigated by the kingdom of Aslan a few years ago after Osea got involved in the mess. It was under the claim of protecting the republic’s interest that they explained their reasons for interfering in the war, and because their involvement with their more advanced military and weaponry, Osea had gained the hatred and animosity from most of the government and public. With all the fighting that was going on, Ironhide could see that the people were sick and tired of being pushed around by other nations-local and foreign. They wanted to feel safe again, and were willing to ally with known terrorist if they had to get that security.

Ironhide kept an eye out for anybody strange, and saw that mixed in with the crowd were a few men and women wearing white body armor and sporting assault rifles bearing the symbol of a crescent moon with a star inside. They looked no different from the civilians, but Ironhide saw how they acted; they were alert, quietly scanning the crowd and streets for any signs of dissent, totally focused despite the nosiness of the city square.

“Prime,” Ironhide said. “Those people in white armor…are they Karaba?”

“Yes. It seems their presence in the area is more dominant than I thought.” Optimus said.

“They aren’t even trying to hide themselves. Aren’t they afraid of getting seen by the Osean military?”

“I doubt they have anything to fear. By allying with Azadistan, they’ve essentially made it so that any action taken against them will be seen as an act of war against Azadistan. A double-edged sword.” Optimus explained, idly scanning the people he drove past. “But that doesn’t stop some people in Osea from demanding a strike against the kingdom without care for the political turmoil it’ll cause.”

“Karaba acts as Azadistan’s sword, while Azadistan acts as Karaba’s shield.” Ironhide muttered. He couldn’t fault the logic in that. “That’s pretty damn smart.”

“Karaba has to be smart while striking out against a world power like Osea in the name of amalgam superiority. They’re gaining more and more members every day and they’ve become a small army. They’re small, but strong enough to make others think twice about standing against them. Azadistan is taking advantage of that to ensure that they maintain their sovereignty.”

It was something both Bots were familiar with. Back on Cybertron, numerous parties joined the Decepticons, back before they evolved into an army, out of the promise of breaking free from the stagnate ties that had degraded their society beyond measure. Some joined because they were promised a world where they didn’t have to look over their shoulder just for speaking out of turn. The people were desperate and needed someone to protect them, to guide them into a new age. Megatron, ever the opportunist, had used this to great effect in his campaign and gained thousands of followers all over the planet. It was a miracle the Autobots had managed to hold off the Decepticon advance with their lack of resources and numbers in comparison to the Cons.

“When they stopped at an intersection, Prime gave Ironhide the game plan. “Ironhide, we’ll split up here. We will have to search for clues for the panel’s location, and that means asking around. If it turns out that Karaba does have the panel, then we must locate their base.”

“Wouldn’t they put it inside the city?”

“They may work with the Azadistan government, but that doesn’t mean that they’re welcome. There is a high probability that Karaba has a base outside the city, far from Anzu, but close enough that they can still keep an eye on their agents. We must be thorough, but also be careful as well.”

“Got it, Prime.” Ironhide said. “Good hunting.”

“Same to you, Ironhide.”

They split up and drove towards different parts of the city. Optimus headed to the marketplace where there were more people, while Ironhide searched the residential areas, which was a more inconspicuous route for him. Neither mech knew who to ask or what to look for. They had to be careful to avoid raising a stink among the populace lest they draw attention to themselves and that was something they wanted to avoid at all costs during the early stages of the operation.

Naturally they had varying degrees of success. Ironhide’s gruff demeanor and the rugged appearance of his holo-avatar had made his interrogation of the locals more difficult than it should be. The way he carried himself just screamed ‘thug’ and people avoided him, which only made him more aggravated. Meanwhile, Optimus was having a lot more luck in his search. He still exuded a natural charisma that helped ease the people he talked to out of their shells, allowing them to feel at ease around him despite the large size of his holomatter and deep voice. But despite this, they had no luck in finding anything out about the panel aside from what they already know-it went missing a few weeks after Karaba had set up shop in Anzu.

“No one has seen the relic since its disappearance,” Said an old woman Prime was conversing with. She was making a clay pot as she spoke to him, her white eyes staring up at his large form unblinkingly. “Anyone who might have seen it on the night it was stolen was killed during the theft, presumably so they wouldn’t talk.”

I see,” Optimus frowned. “Has Karaba made any demands or taken responsibility?”

“Of course not, young man.” She scoffed. “Do you think they would really confess to the crime? No, those Karaba bastards didn’t say a word, but everyone knows they did it. But there’s nothing we can really do about it, is there?”

So Karaba steals the panel, but doesn’t make any demands, leaving them open to suspicion, but without any proof of their guilt, the kingdom couldn’t do anything without starting hostilities with Karaba. Karaba keeps the panel under heavy guard, giving the unspoken demand that Azadistan holds up their part of the deal or else their precious religious symbol is lost forever. Optimus wasn’t worried about the panel being damaged, they were built to withstand the worst environmental conditions nature can muster, including falling from orbit, but he still needed to find it to rescue the poor soul within.

“Thank you for the information ma’am. You were a bit help.” Optimus said and began to walk away.

“Who are you, boy?” The old woman asked. “I know you’re not from around here, and those questions you’re asking are bound to draw attention to you? Are you some sort of secret police agent or one of those government lapdogs from across the sea?”

“I am just a soldier trying to make the world a better place for all of us.” Optimus answered calmly.

“That makes both of us.” The old woman cackled. “Word of warning, boy. These Karaba goons are no joke. Start snooping too much and they’ll make you disappear if you start causing too much trouble for them.”

“I was be careful, ma’am. Thank you for the warning.” Replied Optimus and he walked out of the marketplace down a little side street to reach his vehicle mode. Unfortunately, he ran into someone less pleasant than the old woman.

“Hey, you!” A man shouted. “Hold it right there!”

Optimus bit back a curse as he saw two Karaba soldiers heading his way. One was a large man who looked like a bipedal crocodile clad in a tight white bodysuit that barely held his reptilian bulk in. The other was a woman with long blue-green hair that reached down to her tailbone. Optimus’ keen eyes saw that her hair moved on its own, coiling and uncoiling around the ends like snakes. She wore the same white bodysuit as her partner, but this one hugged her figure and enhanced her natural beauty.

“Yes?” Optimus asked as they stopped in front of him. “Is something a matter?”

“You bet your ass something’s wrong!” Crocodile Man growled, his forked tongue sliding between his sharp teeth. “Word around town says that you’re askin’ questions about us. If you have something to say, then say it to our faces bub!”

“Gila, chill out.” The long haired woman said. “Look dude, you’ve done nothing wrong, but it looks a bit suspicious that a foreigner is asking questions about us. With how chaotic things are getting here and in Osea, we can’t be too careful these days.”

“So how about you cut the crap and piss off?” Gila said.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.” Optimus said. “I have a wife who’s visiting for the week and she wanted to pray before it once before she went to head back overseas. I only wanted to know where it is so she can-“

“You think we give a damn about that!?” Gila hissed, his voice turning into a growl.

“Gila, chill out. It’s too hot for your trigger temper.” The woman sighed.

“No, fuck that Lorelei!” Gila shouted. “Self entitled pricks like him are the reason we’re slumming it out in this fucking dust bowl! I’m getting tired of bowing down to these humans when they’re better off mulch for the worms!”

Optimus took a step back as Gila stomped towards him, gnashing his sharp teeth and growling ferociously. He got into a stance, ready to fight the man off with force if need be, but before Gila could throw the first strike, long strands of oddly colored hair wrapped around the crocodile man’s neck, arms and waist. Surprisingly, she was actually holding him back. Her hair must be stronger than it looked.

“Beat it, human!” The woman grunted, her feet sliding across the ground in her attempt to restrain her partner. “Scram before he rips you apart!”

Optimus nodded and ran back out of the side street. Once he was around the corner, he disengaged his avatar and full consciousness returned to his real body. Sighing, he contacted Ironhide.

“Ironhide, did you have any luck?”

_“No,”_ Ironhide grumbled over the line. _“Freakin’ cowards kept avoiding me like the rust plague. I could barely get a word in before they just sidestepped me like I was gonna mug them.”_

Optimus wanted to say that’s what he got for choosing a holomatter avatar that looked like a member of a biker gang mixed with a serial killer, but he was nice enough to stay silent on that. But it didn’t stop that smile that broke across his face. When Ironhide asked him about his part, he told him what happened with the Karaba soldiers.

_“Ha! And here I thought I was going to be the one to start a fight with the locals.”_ Ironhide grinned.

“It was fortunate that one of them had enough restraint to hold him back and not join in on the fun.” Optimus said. Though the holomatters, being hard-light technology instead of flesh and blood, were immune to pain, a powerful attack was enough to severely harm their real forms before they had a chance to retract their psychic link to the avatars.

_“So I guess that answers our question of who has the panel. Wonderful.”_ Ironhide sighed. _“So what’s our next move?”_

“Locate where their base is, then formulate a plan on how to get in without knowing the layout of the facility-if there is one.” Optimus said, sounding tired. This mission just got even more complicated within a very short span of time. “Remain on standby until I can figure out where to begin.”

_“Yes, Prime.”_

Ironhide cut the link and sighed. He looked out the window, watching the people walk by him. He huffed in aggravation and drove away from the quiet neighborhood, heading towards the marketplace where Prime would be. Looks like there would be no action for him today.

XXXXXX

“I hate this place so much.” Ironhide grumbled. “I should’ve gotten Jazz to go instead. He likes wasting time on missions.”

He was stuck in the middle of the overcrowded marketplace trying not to hit impatient pedestrians who thought that running in front of him was a good idea. He was sorely tempted to do just that to make a point to force others to obey traffic laws; damn fools. They were lucky he was an Autobot. After driving around in circles for a parking spot, he finally found one and snagged it before another driver in a van too large for the spot could even look at it. Of course the driver tried to start something over said parking spot, but considering Ironhide’s holomatter looked like he was part of a biker gang and rolled with the best of him, the driver quickly backed off. With that little altercation done, all he could do now was wait.

And so here he was, slumming out in the middle of a city that was just a few murders away from tearing itself apart. All this inaction was making his trigger finger itchy and that was something that didn’t bode well for anyone near him. He didn’t get it, Karaba were terrorists, and he had seen the damage they’ve caused in Delpoi, the people they’ve killed in their pursuit of conquest. Why weren’t they just shaking a goon down for the location of their base and then storming the place under a disguise? He knew the reason, he wasn’t like those Autobot cadets who think with their guns instead of their heads. Taking aggressive action against a group as volatile as Karaba could spell disaster for the people of Azadistan, or even Osea. They could start an international incident if they were reckless.

‘If these bastards were OZ we wouldn’t be sneaking around them. We’d have taken them out before they even knew what hit them.’ Ironhide thought. Thinking about those cannibalistic nutjobs got his oil boiling again and he groaned. ‘How long is Prime going to take with this?’

“You’re not going anywhere you little freak!”

A yell caught his attention and he curiously looked down the alleyway to his left. Three men were cornering a young woman against the wall. She was a young thing, a teenager basically, with long lavender hair that reached halfway down her back and short curved horns on her head, dressed in a tight white shirt and jeans. Ironhide saw the bats and other blunt objects in their hands and knew this wasn’t a happy get-together. Scowling, he generated his holomatter and walked into the alley. He just found the perfect way to vent his frustration.

“We’re only going to say this once, demon,” The ringleader, a young man who would’ve looked handsome had he not been sporting an ugly scowl on his face, growled. “Get out of our home, and take those other freaks with you. You bring bad fortune upon our nation, and we can’t take it anymore!”

The girl didn’t look scared at all. If anything, she looked a bit annoyed. “Samir, we’ve been down this route before. I can’t order my comrades to leave the city. They’re under the command of someone higher than me. Surely, even someone of your intelligence can understand that.”

“You better watch your mouth you little bitch or-“

 

“Or what? None of you can touch me.” She said.

 

“Is that so?” Samir sneered. “Let’s see if you’re still talking shit after we beat you to a bloody pulp!”

“Yeah, let’s show the bitch her place!” His friends cheered.

Samir reached out to grab the girl, but his hand was suddenly caught in a vice grip that nearly shattered his wrist. Both he and the girl looked up to see Ironhide looming over them, his face stone cold.

“That’s how you treat a lady.” Ironhide growled.

“Stay out of this, outsider!” Samir shouted. “We’re showing this demon what happens to people who invade our kingdom. Don’t interfere!”

“Yeah,” Ironhide drawled. “That’s not going to happen.”

Ironhide leaned back as one of the men swung a bat at his head and lunged forward, punching the attacker in the jaw. The blow nearly shattered his jaw and threw him face first into a dumpster, breaking his nose on impact and knocking him out. The other good took out a pocket knife and tried to stab him. Just like his friend, Ironhide quickly took him out with an elbow to the face before throwing him into Samir, sending both men to the dirty ground.

“Next time, don’t try to fight a guy taller than you. It’ll save some of your dignity.” Ironhide grinned and turned to the girl. “You okay, kid?”

The girl glared up at him. “You didn’t have to help me. I was doing fine on my own.”

“What, no thank you?” Ironhide quipped. “Kid, you were cornered by three thugs in an alley. I don’t know how things go around here, but that’s not a good sight for me.”

“I am a warrior of Karaba, stranger.” She said firmly. “I can take care of myself. Observe.”

The girl raised her arm and to Ironhide’s surprise, the limb began dissolving into sand, which shot over his shoulder into Samir, who was trying to get Ironhide with a sneak attack. Samir screamed as thousands of sand particles tore at his face, stripping away at his skin, getting into his eyes, nose and mouth. Each grain of sand was sharp enough to cut into his flesh, and it was like being inside a cloud of glass shards flying straight at him. Ironhide was awed yet horrified at the sight and noticed that Samir was starting to choke on the sand.

“Whoa, hold up!” He said. “You’re gonna kill him!”

“That’s the idea.”

“Look, kid, if you kill him, then the cops are gonna get involved,” It was the only excuse he could think of. “And I know you don’t want any more trouble than this.”

The girl stared at him for a moment before stopping her assault. The sand cloud stopped tearing into Samir, who had passed out from the pain, before reforming into the girl’s arm. Ironhide let go of the breath he was holding. Sure, he had seen espers in action before like Darren and Kevin, but they didn’t have powers as outlandish as that. Honestly, it was a bit unnerving.

Still, this might be the opening I was looking for.’ He thought. “Hey kid, you said you’re from Karaba right?”

“Yes I am.” She answered. “Is that a problem?”

“Not at all. In fact, you’re just the person I’m looking for.” Ironhide grinned. “Do you know where I can join?”

XXXXXX

_“Ironhide, this plan of yours is too risky,”_ Optimus said over the comm channel. _“The chances of things going wrong are too great.”_

“We don’t have a choice, Prime. I saw an opportunity and I took it.” Ironhide replied, sounding confident in his decision. “And I’ve already put my plan into action, so I’m sticking with it.”

After telling Optimus of his encounter with the Karaba soldier, Ironhide formulated a plan that he literally thought up on the spot. It involved him having the agent taken him into the base and infiltrating their headquarters under the guise of a potential esper recruit. Optimus didn’t hesitate to tell Ironhide that the plan had too many flaws and had a small window for error, but he failed to convince his friend not to go along with this dangerous plan.

“Trust me, Prime. I know what I’m doing.” He said. “I’m not green like those kids we work with.”

_“I know, Ironhide. I do trust you, but the circumstances have me worried. There’s a high possibility of the espers finding out about your true identity. What will you do if that happens?”_

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I don’t make contingency plans like Prowl. I just know this is going to work.”

Optimus sighed at his security officer’s stubbornness and relented to his plan. _“Very well, be careful. I will follow your signal and be in position for extraction is things go wrong.”_

“Hopefully that won’t be the case.” Ironhide chuckled. “Be ready in case things get hot. I’ll see you in the lion’s den.”

Ironhide signed off and Optimus sighed again. As experienced Ironhide was on the battlefield, he wasn’t all that skilled in espionage like Jazz and Bumblebee. But he trusted his security officer to keep things under control, and so far Ironhide managed to at least get a potential lead on this mission. He just hoped things go smoothly, or they’ll have another human organization hunting them down.

XXXXXX

Ironhide gave the still nameless girl a ride to the secret Karaba base that was located a few miles outside the city. Once she contacted her superiors, she gave Ironhide directions to the hidden base, taking them a few miles away from the city, out into the wilderness that was rarely traversed by people these days, save for military convoys and merchants. Ironhide had long since lost sight of the city and hoped Prime was still keeping tabs on him, knowing that the narrow canyons and tight corners would prove to be a problem. These people knew the land well enough to set up shop in places where they could be sure that no large military force could travel through.

Ironhide’s avatar glanced at his passenger, who hadn’t said a word to him since they left the city except to give him directions to the base. She led him to a small rocky outcropping after driving through a curved, narrow canyon. Initially not expecting much, Ironhide was surprised by the community he saw living there.

The canyon spread out into a large valley that was completely composed of black solidified magma. The ground, canyon walls, even the rock formations above the cliffs were covered in smooth, polished onyx that glinted beautifully in the blazing sun. His destination was a large gate at the mouth of the valley, where two guards were stationed. As Ironhide drove up to them, the girl quickly explained that he was with her and allowed them through.

As they passed through the front gates, Ironhide was surprised to see that this supposed terrorist camp looked more like a small village. Like the canyon, everything was covered in onyx, which composed everything from the large houses and the fortifications that looked impossible to make without the power of an esper. Ironhide even saw children playing in the open area. Woman sat chatting while watching the children, men were hard at work either selling food, building or patrolling the village. Everything looked normal, save for the dozens of people sporting visible animalistic or abnormal appearances that ranged from simple animal appendages to truly strange appearances like a woman whose body was covered in hard armor plates.

“This was not what I was expecting to see.” Ironhide said. The girl looked at him.

“What exactly were you expecting?” She asked, not sounding malicious, only curious.

“I don’t know.” Ironhide shrugged. “Soldiers doing exercises, weapons training, maybe a prison block or two. You know, what they show on tv.”

“The Osean Republic likes to paint a picture of us based on our actions. They see a few training camps separate from settlements like this and they think that every man, woman and child is a terrorist in order to justify the unmitigated killing.” She said. “This place is a temporary sanctuary for espers who live in this region. While we’re stationed in Azadistan, we’ve made it our top priority to find and recruit as many espers as possible. Here, some people have a chance to have some semblance of a life, away from the hateful stares and violence.”

Ironhide saw a little girl who looked like a humanoid cat playing with a boy who had sharp hair like porcupine spines. “A lot of children here.” He noted.

“War orphans. They’ve lost their homes to the fighting between insurgents and rogue militias here. Some were abandoned and chased away because of their powers.”

“Parents would do that to their children?” He frowned.

“You’d be surprised how fragile the bond between a parent and their child is when espers are concerned. This is common knowledge no matter where you come from.” She looked out the window. “It seems that you are not very well versed in how this world really works, despite you age.”

‘It would seem so.’ Ironhide thought.

This place was a shanty town for the abandoned and forgotten, people who were hated by the world because they grew wings or could control the elements. It never occurred to Ironhide that Karaba was also a haven for people who had no place else to go, and was a group that welcomed those who were angry at the rest of humanity for what they did to them. In the world of espers, the bonds between siblings, parents, even children, were not as sacred as they are with naturals. Here was a tightly knit community that saw each other as family in all but blood, because their real blood tried to stone them to death or led a mob that tear them to pieces on the grounds of doing “God’s work”.

Ironhide was sickened by this. Knowing this, it was easier to understand why Darren and Kevin went to such great lengths to keep their powers hidden. No one knew how people will react to espers among them. It reminded him too much about the Decepticon Uprising and the absurd lengths Zeta Prime took to root out any sympathizers to eliminate-kill, not capture-in order to quell the growing revolution. Her stance and approach only made things worse for the Autobots and did more harm than good. If the human/esper conflict kept going the way it was going, then Terra was in for a rough ride.

The girl, whose name he still did not know, directed him to the large base that was located outside of the village. It was made of metal, built into the canyon wall and fortified by cooled magma. A man stood outside the base; he was a handsome young man and very tall too, standing at an unnatural 8 feet in height, with a muscular yet slender build and a well shaped face framed by short curly blonde hair and bright green eyes. Ironhide thought of the Elladan statues of the perfect human body, which this man looked similar to. All he wore was a sash around his shoulders and loose fitting pants that puffed out at the ankles.

“Genn,” He said in a chipper tone. “You’re finally back! I was getting worried something had happened to you. And you brought a friend, too.”

“Adonis,” The girl, Genn, nodded her head in greeting. She motioned to Ironhide. “This is…”

“Arron Hide.” Ironhide introduced himself. A clever (to him) human alias he gave himself on the ride there.

“He tried to rescue me from some local thugs, even though I could take them just fine.” She said. “And he wants to join Karaba.”

“A new recruit? That’s great news!” Adonis smiled, his teeth looking as perfect as his smile and the rest of his face. “None of the espers in the village want to join us against those human scum, so it’s a breath of fresh air to have someone new onboard.”

“That’s nice.” Ironhide said, a little put off by the man’s enthusiasm. Genn just gave him a look that said ‘It comes with the full membership.’

“Follow me, I’ll take you to the commander.”

Adonis led Ironhide inside the base, but he noticed that Genn wasn’t joining them. “You’re not coming with us?”

She shook her head. “My job is done. We part ways here.” Genn said. After a minute, she said, “Thank you for trying to help earlier. Esper or not, it’s rare for strangers to stick their neck out for someone they don’t know.

“It was nothing, kid.” Ironhide smirked. “See ya soon. I hope.”

Genn watched the strange white skinned man walk into the base and the door slide shut behind them. Ironhide was in, and now hard part really began.

XXXXXX

The interior of the base was just as odd looking as its exterior. The entire canyon wall had been hollowed out by the same esper that coated the valley in cooled magma. The walls and floors were black and smooth, covered with metal panels and lit up by golden white orbs that definitely aren’t light bulbs. There were fully formed rooms, from meeting areas to barracks and even a water cooler (how that worked here Ironhide didn’t know at all). There were armed guards of course, many of them with normal appearances, but some sporting some extra-normal features. Ironhide wondered why a bunch of superhumans needed semi-automatic weapons, no realizing that not every member of Karaba had an offensive power. The guards who went about the base with weapons were espers with either useless or non-offensive powers, probably unseen mutations.

‘No electronic alarms from what I can see.’ Ironhide thought as he studied the environment. ‘And it doesn’t look like they have a lot of advanced tech here that might give me some trouble. That’s good, the less noise I make going out, the better.’

Adonis led him to the room near the heart of the base and knocked three times. “Commander, it’s me.”

“Come in.”

Ironhide followed Adonis into the room. The room looked like it was decorated by a Britannian gentleman, with fine china situated on smooth, spotless shelves and fine furniture here and there. Antique swords sat on the wall behind the room’s only desk in an orderly fashion, and sitting at that desk was the commander of the Karaba cell in Azadistan.

He was a very muscular man clad in a white suit with the top buttons left open, exposing some of the hard planes of his chest. He had short curly auburn hair that was neatly groomed and wore glasses over stern green eyes that followed Ironhide’s every move. Ironhide could just tell from the way this man was sitting that he was a warrior; a trained killer.

“So you’re the man that helped Genn against those unevolved animals. Quite the hefty one, aren’t you?” The man said in an even tone. Adjusting his glasses, he leaned back and did a quick once over with his eyes. “What’s your name?”

“Arron,” Ironhide answered, making sure he gave nothing away with his expression. “Arron Hide.”

“Arron Hide, not a common name in Azadistan.” He noted and introduced himself. “I’m David Fauntleroy, acting commander of Karaba’s Middle Eastern branch. It’s not much, but we’ve been able to ensure the humans that we are still a formidable force here in Azadistan despite our small numbers.”

“I can see that.” Ironhide said dryly.

“Arron wants to join Karaba, Fauntleroy.” Adonis said.

“So you want to join Karaba, then? You certainly picked a hell of a place to start a new career. Joining Karaba isn’t just some job you can sign up for; it’s a life commitment to dedicating everything aspect of your life to the preservation and advancement of esper kind.” Fauntleroy said. “I hope you understand that we can’t just up and accept anyone into our group. There are enemies all around us, even espers who seek to exploit us for their own gains. We have to be careful not to bring in anyone who might be some slave of the humans.”

“I get that. In this line of work, being a bit paranoid keeps people alive.” Ironhide nodded. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but he hoped that they didn’t dig too deep into his reasons for wanting to get close to them.

Fauntleroy looked at Ironhide long and hard before standing up. Ironhide almost whistled at how tall the man was as he stood before him, staring Ironhide right in the eyes.

“If you want to join the club, then you’re going to have to show us your stuff.” Fauntleroy said. “Here in the Middle East, even espers are wary of Karaba. They think we bring more war and death to their already rotting cesspool of a country. Some even openly oppose us despite our goal of helping espers like them, so we must be very careful of whom we bring into the fold.”

Ironhide nodded wordlessly.

“So,” Fauntleroy continued. “What’s your power?”

This was something Ironhide had been preparing for. He couldn’t simulate flashy powers like telekinesis or energy control, he could change his holomatter’s appearance based on an alien species he came into contact with in the past. And these yahoos would be none the wiser. All he had to do was make a convincing enough show to make the act look real.

Ironhide gritted his teeth and flexed his muscles to make it look like he was straining and then began to change his body. The transformation was slow and was made to look physically and mentally painful to show how grotesque it was. Bones cracked as they shifted and extended, muscles ripped under his skin as they grew larger and thicker, his legs bent forward like that of an animal’s hind legs and made him a bit taller. Black fur grew along his body, and his face flattened to show feline features. His clothes ripped a bit from the slightly larger body mass he was exerting and the increase in size. The human Ironhide was gone, replaced by this bipedal black furred feline that looked like a panther standing on two legs.

“A Transformation-type, impressive.” Adonis said with a smirk. Finding Transformation-type espers were uncommon in these parts, since the environmental factors that sometimes affected the activation of a person’s meta-gene. Arron was one of the lucky ones who could control their transformation ability.

“It’s not as fancy as magnetism or something like that,” Ironhide said in a gruff voice partially marred by his large fangs. “But it gets the job done when someone tries to start something with me.”

This form was an altered holomatter of an alien species he had aided during one of his first off-world missions on an alien planet following The Fall. They were known as Ishtarans, and they lived on a world that was rich in energy producing crystals and tectonic activity. Ironhide and his team was stationed there to help the natives fight off a Decepticon platoon that had been harnessing the planet’s natural resources to fuel their weapons production facility. It was a long, drawn out war of attrition that led to many deaths, but Ironhide had promised the people that he would liberate their land. In the end, he did exactly what he promised, and the looks the joy-filled Ishtarans gave him had energized him for years to come. It reminded Ironhide of just why he was fighting in this hellish war in the first place-to make sure that people like the Ishtarans didn’t have to pay for the mistakes of the Cybertronians.

“So how about it?” He asked, smirking down at Fauntleroy, whom he now towered over. “Did I make the cut boss?”

XXXXXX

Genn sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking the village. Her eyes gazed down at the people mingling about, as if they weren’t hanging out with the world’s most wanted terrorist group. They knew what they were involved in, but they were desperate for someplace to call home without having their neighbor try to gut them in their sleep. She watched the kids play around in the dusty streets, kicking a ball around, looking so innocent. They had no idea of the world that hated and feared their kind, and would go to great lengths to eliminate them for their own self-preservation. They were starving and thirsty, but they still had their families.

Thinking about family made Genn grimace and she took out a worn photo from her pocket. It showed a younger Genn sitting next to an older boy and a pretty woman with dark skin and long black hair, smiling kindly into the camera. This picture kept her going for five years, and brought her stability as well as intense sadness to her.

“Nice picture.”

Genn jumped and looked up to see Ironhide standing next to her. She huffed and turned away, tucking her photo against her belly.

“What do you want? I thought you were speaking with the commander?” She asked.

“Just got done meeting with him.” Ironhide said. “He told me he would talk to me after thinking it over, though I think I impressed him with the show I gave him.”

“That’s new, commander Fauntleroy is a hard man to please, much less impress.” Genn said. Ironhide shrugged.

“I guess I’m just special like that.” He said and sat down next to Genn to look out at the village with her.

They sat in silence for a moment, though it was more neither of them not knowing what to talk about than enjoying the peace or anything like that. Genn could tell that he wanted to ask about her picture, but was kind enough not to pry into her business, which she thought was kind of sweet, if a little annoying. Finally, Genn broke the silence by answering his unspoken question.

“They’re my mother and brother.” She said softly. “Both of them are human.”

“Really?” Ironhide blurted out in surprise, then immediately cursed himself for it. But Genn wasn’t insulted; she expected this kind of response.

“Despite what you may think, not all espers in Karaba have completely forsworn contact with humans.” Genn said. “Some still have close ties with human relatives who accept them for who they are and try to support them. My mother and brother, they’re the only family I have in this world.”

“And…your father?”

“Gone, he vanished just after I was born. As a result, my mother was considered an “improper” woman because she had two children out of wedlock. They treated her like trash, just for doing what was in her nature.” Genn growled.

“Harsh.” Ironhide muttered.

“It’s nothing new to see this kind of bullshit in this part of the world. In the Middle East, people adhere to traditions thousands of years old, and it’s not uncommon to see people born different from society’s norm to be treated like crap.”

Ironhide didn’t know what to say. He knew very little about human society, both because he didn’t care to know more than what he was supposed to learn, and there were so many cultures that he couldn’t be bothered to study. That was Jazz’s thing. Still, seeing her brought one question to his mind.

“If you have a family, then why are you hanging out with these guys?” Ironhide questioned her. “I imagine that you mother would be worried sick about her daughter working in a terrorist group.”

“It’s because of my mother that I work for Karaba.” Genn replied strongly. She took a deep breath and looked away. “My mother was kidnapped and sold into slavery by slave traders. Espers, if you can believe it. The day she was taken was also the same day I manifested my powers. The stress of losing my mother and almost losing my freedom caused my meta-gene to activate.”

Genn lifted her hand and it dissolved into a small cloud of sand that hovered around her. “I flayed those bastards alive before helping my brother escape. I wasn’t able to get my mother back.”

“I’m sorry.” He sighed, but she shook her head.

“That’s how life is here. The strong survive, the weak perish. But that doesn’t mean I have to sit by and take it.” Genn said. “The only reason I joined Karaba was not for esper dominance over Terra or the subjugation of humans; I only came here because Karaba has the resources I need to locate my mother. Once find her, I’m done with Karaba.”

“That’s a ballsy move. Think they’ll let you go when the time comes?” He didn’t think that these guys took resignations very well.

“If they will not let me go willingly, then I will use force. I will not be led along for my powers, nor will I be cowed in my quest for my mother.” Genn said passionately. “My family comes first.”

“Haha!” Ironhide laughed loudly, clapping Genn on the shoulder. She glared at him, but he paid it no mind. “I like you kid! With an attitude like that, no one will try to walk over you.”

“Depends on what you want to know.”

“Do you have any friends or family back where you came from; back in Osea?”

Ironhide thought on how to answer that without looking like he was hiding something. Jazz always said that the best lies were ones that had enough truth to them to come across as natural. “No family, parents are dead and I’ve got no siblings. I have friends, but most of them are acquaintances at best save for a few guys I…work with.” He allowed a small smile to spread on his face. “But there is a special someone that I have back home.”

“Really?” Genn said, looking at him like he was telling an interesting story.

“Yeah, she’s a handful. No different than me in terms of personality so you can imagine how much shit we cause for the people around us. She’s a bit of a hothead and has a temper, but I love all the same.”

“Do you…” Genn wondered if she should ask something so sensitive. “Miss her?”

“Not a day goes by when I don’t think about her kid. Fact is that I’ve been away from home for a long time, and I doubt I’ll be seeing her anytime soon.” He said solemnly. “But the thought of her keeps me going, that and the fact that if I die, she’s going to dig straight to hell and drag me back out.”

Genn chuckled. “She sounds like a strong woman.”

“That she is.” Ironhide smiled. “Seems like we both have a reason for living.”

“Indeed.”

They sat in silence after that, enjoying the warm atmosphere that had washed over them. As the evening slowly faded into the night. Once the sun began to set, Ironhide and Genn bade each other goodbye, although for the young woman, this would be the last time she spoke to the Autobot as a friend.

XXXXXX

Ironhide waited until it was late into the night to begin the heist. He knew that there was a guard posted outside his quarters, another means to keep an eye on him, and he phased his holomatter through the wall past the sleeping guard to sneak down the hallway. Stealth wasn’t Ironhide’s thing, but his holomatter was flexible in that regard. He nullified its weight so that he could walk down the halls without making any noise. He was out and about, so all he needed to do was get to the panel’s location. He had memorized the layout of the base, so that was taken care of as well.

He used what little stealth skills that he knew to avoid detection while also making his way towards the little treasury they had. It helped working with people like Bumblebee and Jazz, who were masters at this kind of thing, and he was using tactics he never thought he would use in his life to make this job a lot easier; look around corners using reflective surfaces to avoid getting caught by surprise, look behind you periodically so you don’t get jumped by an unsuspecting guard by mistake (Jazz deemed that the worst and most embarrassing way to get caught), and always put you weight on the heel of your feet to avoid making too much noise with your footsteps. It was all way to intricate and complicated for a mech who got things done by blowing them straight to hell with overwhelming firepower, but Ironhide knew that there were other ways to win battles that didn’t include fighting. There was a reason stealth teams were specialists-there wasn’t anyone else right for the job.

After a few more minutes, Ironhide finally made it to Karaba’s munitions vault where they kept their weapons or any special items they’ve acquired on their missions. There was a single guard patrolling the hallway, so Ironhide waited for him to pass before sneaking up behind him and took him out with a quick chop to his throat.

“Sorry, buddy, but I need your looks for a while.” He whispered, smirking. He dumped the guard’s body in a closer and altered his avatar so that it was identical to the man he just knocked out. Making sure his disguise was perfect, Ironhide walked up to the other guard who just turned the corner. “Rough night?”

“I’ll say. You’d think we’d be able to relax a little out here in the middle of nowhere, but no, that’s too easy.” The guard yawned.

“Why don’t you go get some sleep? I can handle things here.” Ironhide said.

“Really? Thanks, man.” The guard clapped Ironhide on the shoulder and trudged his way back to his room. Ironhide mentally apologized to him for all the trouble he was about to cause for the poor guy.

Once he was sure that no one else was coming his way, he got to work on the door. Fortunately for him, the door wasn’t fixed with any security measures or even locked, so getting in was easy. With his immense strength, he got the door open and hurried inside. There were tons of weapons here, from semi-automatic weapons to RPGs and even grenade launchers, and further back was the vault that held the more valuable possessions, like gold. Running to the vault, he pulled the door open and searched the room for the panel. It didn’t take long to find it, since it was sitting on a small platform made of onyx, hiding from view by some well placed jewels.

“Found ya, now to get out of here.” Ironhide picked up the panel, but as soon as he did, alarms blared around him. “Slag, don’t tell me this thing was wired!”

The alarms woke everyone in the base, and the first to arrive on the scene was Lorelei. The woman was very angry at having her beauty sleep interrupted, her hair waving around wildly, some strands digging deep gashes into the wall thanks to their tensile strength and sharpness. Someone was going to get choked by her wicked weave!

“Somebody better tell me what the hell is going on before I start tearing shit up!” Lorelei screamed over the noise.

“Quit whining you harpy!” Gila ran up to her in his liazardman form, hefting a large assault rifle on his shoulder. “We’ve got an intruder in the base and we need to ice that fool before the commander gets back.”

“Who the hell would be stupid enough to sneak into the base?” Lorelei asked. “In fact, how the hell did he get inside in the first place?”

Gila listened to the chatter in his earpiece. “We can ask his corpse when we’re done. He’s coming our way.”

Ironhide barreled through the halls like a football player, keeping the panel tucked under his arm as he bulldozed his way through the Karaba grunts that shot at him with the force of an angry bull. The bullets passed harmless through his avatar and he was an unstoppable force compared to most of these guys. When he turned the corner and saw Gila and Lorelei, he didn’t even look surprised.

“Wait, aren’t you the new guy?” Gila asked surprised. “What the hell, dude?”

“Sorry, kid, it’s nothing personal. I’m just helping out a friend of mine.” Ironhide said. “Now step aside and no one will get hurt.”

“Like hell I will traitor!” Gila snarled and fired his rifle at Ironhide. Unsurprisingly, except to Gila, the bullets passed through Ironhide’s body as the disguised Autobot ran at his adversary. Gila blinked and scowled. “Fine! I don’t need a gun to take you out!”

Gila tossed his rifle aside and charged at Ironhide, lashing out with his sharp claws. Ironhide ducked under a swing from his lethal talons and slammed his knee into the esper’s chin. He felt Gila’s nose crunch from the blow and followed up with a strong punch to his jaw that slammed the man’s head into the wall. Ironhide landed and ducked under a quick swipe of razor sharp hair that almost beheaded his avatar.

“That was my friend, you asshole!” Lorelei growled and slashed at him with hair that was like steel cords sharp enough to cut through metal.

She split her hair in two whips and spun them to make a drill, digging into the floor as she attacked Ironhide relentlessly. He managed to avoid getting impaled, but a strand left a deep gash in his side from behind and he winced in pain. Any wounds he got in his holomatter could be felt in his real form, and if he was dealt a killing blow, then the results wouldn’t bode well for him. So he let a tendril grab his arm and pull him off his feet, but he angled his body so that he was shooting towards Lorelei. She realized too late what he was doing as he planted his feet in her face, using the force gained from the momentum of his short flight to send her crashing into a wall, unconscious with a bleeding face.

“Sorry, but I don’t have time for you right now.” He said.

Ironhide left a trail of unconscious bodies and destroyed equipment in his wake as he ran for the exit. He was grateful that the place couldn’t initiate some lockdown procedure or he would’ve been in big trouble. There was one last group of soldiers, four, who were standing between him and freedom. Ironhide didn’t hesitate as he kneed one soldier in the face, kicked another in the chin and spun around, taking the other two out in a clothesline. Jumping over them, he phased through the door and got outside…where a platoon of soldiers was waiting, all pointing their weapons at him.

“Son of a glitch.” Ironhide groaned.

“What do you think you’re doing, Arron?” Adonis, who stood in front of the soldiers, asked in a frosty tone. His friendly disposition from earlier was gone, replaced by the look of a warrior prepared to kill if necessary. “We offer you a place amongst our ranks and this is how you repay us? By stealing our possessions?”

“To be fair, this wasn’t yours to begin with.” Ironhide replied. “You stole this thing yourself, so don’t think you can talk smack to me about theft.”

“Don’t try to turn this around, Hide.” Adonis said. “Put the relic down and surrender peacefully. We will not kill you if you do not raise arms against us.”

“Sorry, kid, but I can’t. This little thing is coming with me.” Ironhide said.

Adonis scowled. “This isn’t up for negotiation. You’re outnumbered and outgunned. There’s no one to help you now.”

“Ah, but I do have someone to help me,” Ironhide smirked. “Myself.”

Ironhide’s real form revved up his engine and drove through the front gates. He tore through the village, careful of the scattering villagers as he plowed through the armor clad soldiers, forcing Adonis to jump back. Then, in a severe breach of protocol, Ironhide transformed to robot mode, towering over the awestruck Karaba soldiers with his cannons trained on them.

Looking down at Adonis, he gave a smirk. “Howdy.”

Adonis was surprisingly calm despite what he just saw. He looked up at the Autobot, then to the holomatter avatar holding the panel. It didn’t take him long to put the pieces together and realize that the man he was confronting probably wasn’t who he said he was.

“I don’t know what you are, Arron Hide, if that’s even your real name,” Adonis said in a strong tone. “But if you think your size intimidates me, then you’re gravely mistaken. Behold!”

The veins under Adonis’ skin glowed before his body exploded in a bright burst of energy. Steams flew into the air and Ironhide saw a large form emerge from the cloud before a fist punched him in the face. He crashed back through the base’s front gates and tumbled onto the road leading to the village. Ironhide grunted, rubbing his aching jaw as he glared up at the figure who punched him.

Adonis had transformed into a golden giant that was as tall as Ironhide, looking like the famed Colossus of Rhodes as he stomped through the damaged gates and glared down at him with electric blue eyes. Adonis nicknamed this form Rhodes, after the magnificent statue in Elladas, and it was his special ability, one of the more powerful transformation-type espers in Karaba’s ranks. Despite being made of solid gold, he moved as fluidly as if he were made of flesh.

Ironhide huffed and got to his feet. “I hate espers.” He grumbled.

Adonis ran forward, quickly closing the distance between them in long strides before throwing a punch at Ironhide. He caught the fist, but Adonis followed up with a kick, which Ironhide caught, though he was pushed back a few inches. Ironhide grabbed his leg and pulled him off the ground, lifting him into the air and throwing him a few feet away into the outer perimeter of the town. Adonis glared at Ironhide and charged at him, grabbing the Autobot around the middle and throwing him into the sand, punching him in the face repeatedly.

Ironhide dodged his last punch and kicked Adonis off him before slamming his fist into the esper’s chin. Adonis’ head reeled back from the blow, but he quickly grabbed Ironhide’s arm and twisted it behind his back, putting nearly all his strength into tearing the limb off. Ironhide grunted from the painful strain his elbow joint suffered and slammed his other elbow into his opponent’s face, dazing Adonis long enough to get free. He spun around for another punch, but Adonis recovered quicker than he thought and punched Ironhide so hard in the chest that his chest plate almost caved in. He stumbled back and clutched his chest while glaring at Adonis.

‘This isn’t going to be easy.’ Ironhide thought.

Ironhide wouldn’t have such problems fighting Adonis had his entire focus been on the fight, but he still needed to get his avatar out of the area. The faster he did that, the quicker the fight could end. During the battle, Ironhide’s avatar ran through the village, where people were clamoring to escape the battle between giants that threatened to damage their home. He made it through without incident and was now making his way to the narrow canyon at the entrance to the valley. He wasn’t sure if Prime was close enough to call over the comm-link and he wasn’t risking calling a ground bridge with so many people close by.

His avatar flickered like a bad television reception, the result of Ironhide’s wavering concentration. If his avatar destabilized now, then he’d lose the panel and the mission will be a failure. Ironhide was almost at the canyon when the ground under his feet erupted and he was engulfed in a cloud of sand. His arms and legs were pinned to his body and the panel fell to the ground as he was lifted into the air. The sand coalesced in front of him into a humanoid form he recognized instantly.

It was Genn. Since she couldn’t shift her clothes into sand along with her, she was completely bare before him, leaving on her features from her bare shoulders up. She was like a dust devil, with her horns and angry eyes, sand swirling around her violently. She scowled at him with a look of anger and…betrayal?

“So you were a spy then,” She said angrily. “An agent sent by the Azadistani to steal their relic from us. A traitor to your own kind.”

“I’m not a spy and I’m not working for anyone,” Ironhide grunted, shutting his eyes from the sand hitting his face. “And you can’t call me a traitor to a cause I never believed in.”

“Then you were just a vagabond looking to make a quick buck. A barbarian no better than the people who took my mother away from me!” Genn shouted. The sand flew more violently around them as her anger grew. “Was it all a lie then? Your friends, your lover, all a lie just to gain my trusts?”

Ironhide didn’t know how to explain himself without exposing the Autobots. Genn wasn’t in the mood for lies or half-truths right now. If he gave her the wrong answer, he was doomed-both in spirit and in body. He could probably expend some energy to break free, but taking out an esper who could become sand in a heartbeat was hard to deal with. So for once since he came to this planet, Ironhide resolved to solve this problem without using his fists.

“Kid…Genn,” Ironhide said. “I never lied to you. I only gave you half the truth about me. I never sought to trick you, but this panel is the heart of something you can’t even imagine. You have to believe me. There are things going on that are more than any human or esper on this planet. Bigger things.”

Ironhide ducked under a punch from Rhodes and grabbed him around the middle, squeezing hard. Rhodes gave a metallic roar that sounded painful to anyone still near the warzone and began pounding his fists down on Ironhide’s back and head. Each hard blow left dents in Ironhide’s thick armor, and continued to rattle the Autobot. When Ironhide’s grip finally slipped, Rhodes leapt back and kneed him in the face, sending energon spurting from his mouth. Ironhide stumbled back, but was just barely able to dodge Rhodes’ outstretched hands as he reached for him.

With a cry, Ironhide threw a kick at Rhodes, who met it with a kick of his own. Their legs collided with enough force to send a strong shockwave rippling through the area, with a resounding boom. Ironhide’s leg held strong for a moment, but the force of Rhodes’ kick had caused his knee joint to groan and creak. Then to his horror, Ironhide’s leg shattered at the knee, causing him to fall to his other knee. But he wasn’t out yet, as he shot back up onto his good leg with a yell and landed a punch square in Rhodes’ face, knocking the giant esper off his feet.

“What purpose does the relic have to this?” Genn asked. “And what is that robot? Where did it come from? Who made it?”

“This panel does not belong to Karaba or Azadistan. It’s no gift from the gods, but a person’s survival depends on it.” Ironhide answered. He could feel his vision waning, he couldn’t hold on anymore. “As for the bot, well…let’s just say I’m not human-natural or esper. I’m somethin’ else entirely.”

Genn looked at him with an unreadable expression then turned to the chaotic battle going on not too far from them. She wanted to discredit Ironhide so badly, think that he was lying just to save his own skin. But something in his eyes told him that he was honest about his words. Something big was going on here.

“Genn,” Ironhide continued, not knowing if she was listening or not. “I wasn’t lying about what I told you. I do have friends and a lover, but I’m not who you think I am. Lives are at stake not just in Azadistan, but in the entire world. I know I’ve hurt you, buy you have to trust me. Just this once.”

Ironhide’s holomatter was visibly flickering now, and Genn’s mind was running a mile a minute. She didn’t know what to believe or what was going on right now. But she did know that something was going that she didn’t know about, and that unsettled her. She figured that he could probably escape her grasp right now, but was unable to. If he really wasn’t human, then this changed things entirely. What should she do?

XXXXXX

Ironhide gritted his energon stained teeth as he glared at Adonis’ motionless body and spat at him. The bastard was hard to take down and he was tougher to fight than Ironhide expected. He didn’t think the giant esper could do this much damage to him. Just another grim reminder of how old he was getting. That’s a wonderful thought.

“Prime, you there?” Ironhide called. “I’m gonna need an assist. I got the panel, but I’m damaged.”

_“I’m on my way, Ironhide. Just sit tight.”_ Optimus replied.

“Oh, I’m hanging all right…on the fragging edge.” Ironhide grumbled. “My head’s killin’ me.”

Ironhide started to get up, but just as he did, Rhode’s shot upright, glaring at the Autobot. He leapt to his feet and launched a lightning fast punch to Ironhide’s head. Ironhide flew through the air into one of the houses in the village and Adonis charged at him. He slammed his shoulder into the Autobot’s chest and sent them both crashing through the building before Ironhide punched him off and grabbed his arm. Holding him steady, Ironhide took out his war hammer and slammed it into the back of Adonis’ arm, breaking it.

Adonis gave another loud roar and began smashing his fist into the side of Ironhide’s head. Each punch was as devastating as the last, and even though Ironhide was densely armored from head to toe, his head was the weakest part of his body. The strong blows he was taking to his cranial unit were not good for his internal components, and any longer the damage to his brain module could become fatal.

Enraged and frustrated, Adonis continued pounding Ironhide’s head with all the force he could must, but a loud horn stopped his assault. He looked up to see a red and blue truck racing towards him before it reconfigured before his eyes and became a giant robot with a very big gun. There was a blinding burst of light and a powerful energy blast hit Adonis in the middle of his chest. It wasn’t fatal, but it really hurt. Adonis tried to recover, but Optimus fired another shot and got him in the face. Adonis fell onto his back, making the ground shake.

Optimus waited for any signs of movement, but when Adonis remained still, he folded his weapon into his back and ran over to Ironhide. “Ironhide, are you alright?”

Ironhide groaned, his head sported a serious dent in the armor and one of his optic lens was cracked. “You took your sweet time getting here.”

“I had to divert a few Karaba reinforcements on the way here.” Optimus explained. “They were carrying a lot of heavy weaponry, along with a power esper.”

“Fauntleroy, yeah fighting him would’ve sucked, all right.” Ironhide grunted. “Let’s get the panel and beat it before we learn what that guy’s power is.”

Optimus helped Ironhide into a standing position and went over to grab his leg before they made their way out of the now empty village towards the canyon. After making it up the hill, they saw the stasis panel sitting on the ground, where Ironhide’s holomatter dropped it after it destabilized. Genn was nowhere to be found.

‘Thanks kid,’ Ironhide thought. ‘Sorry for all the slag I put you through.’

Optimus picked up the panel and called the base. “Ratchet, we’re ready for a ground bridge at our location. And standby to a possible limb reattachment.”

Ironhide looked at the ravaged village and base one last time as the ground bridge appeared. He sighed and allowed Optimus to help him into the portal, where they disappeared. Once the bridge vanished, the sand on the ground began to swirl in the air as if kicked up by a breeze. The sand flew through the air before rushing into a white shirt and pants that lay discarded on the ground, reforming into a humanoid figure-the esper girl, Genn.

“So they aren’t human after all.” She muttered. “But what does this mean for all of us?”

XXXXXX

The next morning, Karaba reinforcements arrived at the village and saw one of their outposts in serious disarray. Fauntleroy stood on the sidelines watching two telekinetic espers clear away the debris of a fallen house while one of his officers went around getting an account of what occurred last night. Fauntleroy scowled, so many espers under his command required medical attention after getting stomped on by a single man. Even Adonis was defeated by some robot that posed as Arron Hide’s truck. In addition to that mess, the relic they took from Azadistan was gone as well, leaving them without any leverage against the kingdom.

The rebuilding effort was going well, but Fauntleroy was going to have to have Sue place more magma fortifications to keep something like this from happening. So much work to be done, and with heavy hearts as well. If it turned out that Azadistan was behind this, then it will be war between them and Karaba.

“Fauntleroy,” A woman called out, her voice sharp as glass. “Is this where it happened?”

“Yes, ma’am. The battle took place near the village.” Fauntleroy spun around and nodded to his leader…and mother-in-law. “I was in the city meeting with the queen when it happened.”

The woman he addressed was a beauty still in the prime of her live; she had a firm, toned build wearing a dark red sleeveless bodysuit and long red armored gloves. She had dark pink hair tied into a ponytail and thin glasses over a pair of amber eyes. The woman gave off an air of authority as she surveyed the damage caused to the outpost.

“So the man’s truck became a giant robot?” She asked.

“Yes, ma’am. According to witnesses, it had no driver, but suddenly starting operating by itself.” he answered. “Another vehicle, a truck, also appeared and attacked Adonis.”

The woman scowled, there were no records of talos that could do any of that, and they certainly weren’t golems either. She had no idea what was going on, and she wasn’t a woman who liked no knowing about things. “Fauntleroy.”

“Yes?”

“Reinforce our numbers in the region.” She commanded, smoke rising off her shoulders.”Find that man and those two robots by any means necessary. Find out if the Azadistani had anything to do this with this. do whatever you have to do to get the answers we need. If they’re innocent, then they have nothing to hide.”

“And if they’re guilty, ma’am?” Fauntleroy asked.

“Burn the city to the ground!” Growled Magda Lensherr, co-leader of Karaba, her eyes blazing like two miniature suns.

No one insulted Karaba like this and lived to tell the tail. Their retribution will be swift as it is devastating. And the entire world will know that.

 


	30. The Morning Star

Chapter 29-The Morning Star

Ever since he first came to Terra, Bumblebee had developed a bit of a soft spot for this little planet in the outer reaches of the Milky Way. Despite being a scout, he often found himself on worlds already embroiled in war, or on the front lines where the fighting was heaviest. Rarely did he get a chance to spend time on a world incognito that wasn’t in total chaos and falling apart. Even back on Cybertron he never got that chance, since he was born during the middle stages of the War for Cybertron, when the planet was already a shadow of what it once was.

When he first arrived on Terra, he barely studied anything about it and its people aside from what he needed to know to make blending in easier. Since meeting the kids and learning about the world from Gina, he was more curious than ever about many of Terra’s mysteries. The existence of these “angels” that seemed to have landed on the planet in the distant past, the mysteriously advanced Arian Empire that ruled much of the ancient world, the origin of the espers; it was all so intriguing to him. It certainly made his time on this planet more interesting.

Gina was kind enough to take time out of her day to make sure his curiosity was sated by giving him crash courses in Terran history. She didn’t mind; it was cool teaching an advanced alien being about her world. Before, the discussions they shared was just out of habit and curiosity, but recently Gina’s knowledge of local mythology and history was actually becoming useful as more and more Minicons were found in the possession of ancient ruins and former civilizations.

“I still don’t get it, Gina,” Bumblebee said to the girl as they chatted in the command center. “If the Arians were extinct for thousands of years, then how are the golems still operational? I was almost killed by two in Airlann and they moved as if they came right off the assembly line.”

“That’s the thing, no one can really explain that.” Gina enlarged an image on her laptop and showed him a photo of a golem going berserk during an archaeological dig. “The Arian Empire fractured and fell apart during a major natural disaster at the end of the Age of Wonders thousands of years ago. There were still many nations that used golems, hence why they all look so different, but they stopped using them after the Void Century.”

“That was a huge blank spot in human history, right?” Bumblebee said.

“Correct. Technology, medicine, knowledge, everything seemed to take a step back and golems all over the world were suddenly abandoned.” Gina said. “And yet they still work by themselves at random.”

“I thought they were like talos.”

“No, they inspired the concept behind talos. Golems are fully autonomous, like drones, but no one knows how this was achieved when they were built in a time where computers and AI were nonexistent. How were they made and how did they operate? Those are the key questions about golems.”

“Maybe they work in ways science can’t identify yet. Another method you haven’t thought about that doesn’t use conventional means.” Sara, who had been sitting silently next to Gina, suggested. “The Arians used technology in ways modern science has not yet achieved. Ways that were obviously aided by the alien entities we’ve encountered in the past.”

“Huh, I never thought of that route.” Gina muttered and smiled. “That certainly sounds more plausible than other ideas some people put forth. Can you believe that some people thought the golems were possessed by the spirit of Gaia or something? Honestly, and they call themselves scientists.”

Sara looked at her with a vague expression of confusion. “Gaia?”

“Gaia’s the spirit of the planet,” Bumblebee explained. “She’s the goddess of Terra, and the planet was named after an alternate version of her name. The Chantry believes that Gaia created all life on earth, from micro-organisms to humans, and when they all die, they return to Gaia.”

“You’ve done your homework, Bee.” Gina smiled.

“It’s all so interesting to me. After what I’ve seen at Brigadoon, I wanted to know more about this world’s myths and legends.” Bumblebee said cheerfully. “I also know that some humans think that the planet itself is one giant organism, with all life being part of that organism, similar to cells in the body.”

“The Gaia Theory.” Ratchet walked into the room with a datapad in hand. “A very odd but reasonable scientific approach.”

“Hey, Ratchet,” Gina waved at him. “You just got back from patrol?”

“Yes, and as usual, nothing of note happened, not even energon. It’s getting harder to find them with the Cons having harvested a good deal of the deposits in the Midwest.” Ratchet said with a tired sigh as he sat down at the terminal.

“Ratchet, you said that the Gaia Theory is scientifically reasonable, but from what I’ve learned about you, you are not a religious mechanoid.” Sara pointed out.

“You’re right, Sara, I am a mech of science and reason, probably the very definition of atheist, you could say.” Ratchet said. “I’m just pointing out how the theory is similar to how we cybertronians see ourselves in relation to Cybertron.”

“Oh really?” Gina’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at the medic with child-like interest. “Do tell, doctor.”

Ratchet cracked a smile at her. “As you know, there are many theories that try to explain how the cybertronian race came into being. Some were realistic, while others were a bit outlandish. Our myths vary widely in regards to our origins. The oldest legends shared spoke of Primus, the god who created Cybertron and her people.” He explained. “It’s a common belief that our Sparks are fragments of Primus, and that upon our death, our Sparks return to him along with all the information we have acquired in life. It’s a widely believed myth that almost everyone takes seriously, even though there is no physical proof of Primus’ existence.”

“I never pegged you for an atheist, Ratchet.” Gina said. Ratchet shrugged.

“In my line of work, it’s not believing in gods that saves people, it’s these.” He held up his hands. “If I counted on my religious faith to save my patients, then I’d would’ve been dishonorably discharged by now. Though an old mech like me is getting a bit up there in years.”

“No way, Ratchet,” Bumblebee scoffed. “You’re not that old. You’re…what?”

“Six million years old?” Gina smiled. “Give or take a few years?”

The two Autobots shared a laugh at that. It was a known fact among the team that Ratchet was probably one of the oldest Autobots still alive, just a few cycles older than Ironhide. Ratchet liked to joke about it every once in a while, but Gina noticed that look in his eyes whenever it came up. That wistfulness that she had seen in her grandfather’s expression when they were reminded of their age. The wish to be young again, if only for a moment. She wondered if age was as restricting for cybertronians as it was for humans, though Ratchet seemed to be doing pretty good…on the outside, at least.

**“Alert: Unknown energy reading detected.”**

Ratchet and Bumblebee looked at each other. “Looks like break time’s over.” The scout sighed.

“Sara and I will get out of your hair.” Gina said. “Wouldn’t want to get in your way.”

“Don’t worry, Gina, you can stay.” Ratchet said.

“Really?”

“Yeah, you’re a part of this, too.” Bumblebee told her. Gina smiled brightly at them.”

XXXXXX

Teletran-1 had detected the energy reading in central Emmeria, originating in Elladas and emitting strong enough readings that it almost took up the entire region. They didn’t know what was causing it, but it was powerful. It didn’t take long for Ratchet to relay his findings to Optimus, Prowl and the others.

“The signal is coming from a small province in Elladas,” Ratchet said. “It’s called Pythia.”

“Can we identify what’s causing the signal?” Prowl asked. Ratchet shook his head.

“I already had Teletran try to match it with anything in its database, but so far, no matches have come up. We have an anomaly on our hands.”

“Do you think it might be energon, Optimus?”

“It’s doubtful, since these readings are far too powerful for something like raw energon to emit.” Optimus replied. “We will still need more information before we can make assumptions.”

“The last thing we need is to be hit with a surprise during this investigation like the last two times we ran into anomalies.” Prowl agreed.

“I had Skyfire fly over the area to do a grid scan of the region.” Ratchet said. “According to Comettor, these readings are almost identical to the type of energy signature found in Belka and Airlann.”

“So where we found that ancient teleporter and the country where Annie, Bulkhead and Ironhide ran into those…things that almost killed them.” Gina said. “I don’t need to be a genius to know this isn’t going to end well for anyone.”

“Which is why we need to act carefully.” Optimus said. “Now that we at least have some idea of what to expect from mysterious happenings like this, we need to be cautious, lest we end up triggering another event like the fight at Brigadoon.”

“From what I can deduce, anomalies like this are often connected to ancient places originally inhabited by humans. Like an abandoned city or a place of worship.” Prowl said. He turned to Gina and asked, “Is there anything special in Pythia, Gina? Like a shrine or tomb of some kind?”

Gina was already looking up the location on her laptop before he even finished his question. “Pythia is a special place. It used to be a large city-state that was home to a female seer called an Oracle. She was a woman who can tell one’s future by supposedly communing with the gods. There aren’t any other significant things of note about the place, but if it helps, I can tell you that the Oracle resided in an underground cave that people had to climb down into order to speak with her.”

“Thank you, Gina.” Optimus said. “Prowl, assemble a strike team and head to Pythia at once. Skyfire will join you in a few minutes. We need to know whether the source of this anomaly is a weapon or another creature like Fortitudo.”

“Yes, Prime.” Prowl said and walked to the door.

“Good luck, Prowl.” Gina said, waving to him.

“I don’t need luck when logic is my main tool, Gina.” Prowl said as he passed her. “But thanks for the confidence anyway.”

XXXXXX

Starscream stood in front of Megatron’s quarters, where the Decepticon leader ordered him to have a little “chat” in private. That didn’t make the Seeker commander any less nervous, because private chats away from witnesses tend to end with one of the two speakers being silently disposed of. Starscream scowled, Knockout’s stupid human crime drama movies were making him paranoid. Curse that “Godfather” whoever he was!

Few people had ever seen Megatron’s personal quarters-without permission of course. Aside from Nightshade and Soundwave, no one dared to glimpse into the warlord’s personal chambers, but here he was, standing on the event horizon. Starscream steeled himself and knocked on the door.

“L-Lord Megatron,” Starscream cursed his stutter. “It is I, your loyal air commander.”

The door slid open, revealing a dark room. “Enter, Starscream.”

Starscream forced himself forward into the room, and almost jumped when the door slammed shut behind him. With no light from the hallway, Starscream could see that it wasn’t completely dark, it was simply dimly lit. A dark purple lamp sitting on the desk was the only light source in the room, showing the recharge slab, large desk with a computer terminal on top and a large white and silver wing mounted on the wall behind the desk. Looking at the appendage, Starscream felt that he saw a wing like that before, but he wasn’t totally sure.

“Starscream,” The mech straightened up as Megatron addressed him. “Do you know why I called you here?”

“No, Megatron, I do not.” He answered. “I can only assume it’s something important.”

“Yes, you could say that.” Megatron said cryptically. “I have a task for you, one that I think suits your skill set quite nicely.”

“Really?” Starscream’s face brightened up, but he quickly schooled his eagerness. “I mean, oh really?”

“Yes, you see, Starscream, Soundwave just detected a strong energy anomaly in Central Emmeria, near the edge of the Elladan subcontinent by the Ceres Ocean.” Megatron brought up a holo-map from his desk and pointed to the subcontinent by the Ceres Ocean. “One that is similar to the readings that came from Nightshade’s weapon, Gandiva.”

“And you believe that it might be another weapon like it?” Starscream inquired. He hoped that was the case. A weapon on par with Gandiva might finally give him a weapon strong enough to kill Megatron.

“I’m not making any assumptions until we know what exactly we’re dealing with.” Megatron said, leaning back in his chair.

“Of course, my lord.” Starscream said and bowed his head. “I will complete this task with the utmost diligence.”

“Oh, that’s not the task I’m assigning you, Starscream, just an upcoming mission you will be taking part in.” Megatron revealed. He held back a smirk at Starscream’s confusion.

“E-Excuse me?”

“The task is something less hazardous, but no less important. I want you to keep an eye on a certain individual for me, and keep them in line if they get too arrogant. I’m sure you already know who I’m talking about.”

Starscream jumped when he heard a caw and saw Laserbeak hop onto the desk from some hiding spot he failed to notice. Laserbeak looked at Starscream and projected an image from his forehead. It was a security feed, showing a certain two wheeler sneaking out of the energon storage vault with a couple of energon cubs in hand.

“Flamewar?!” Starscream exclaimed. “You want me to babysit that witch?”

This time, Megatron didn’t hold back his smirk. “I told you it suited your skill set.”

XXXXXX

It was nearing dusk over the province of Pythia, and the sun was already sinking into the distant horizon as Skyfire stood atop the steep cliffs by the ocean to watch the sunset. She was always a sucker for wonderful sights like this. It reminded her of the great views she would get from flying over Cybertron early in the morning or at sundown. Nothing beats watching the world at twilight.

“It’s quite the sight, isn’t it, mate?” Skyfire asked Comettor, who sat on her shoulder.

“It certainly is.” Comettor agreed.

“Reminds me of that time I spent my leave from the Seeker contingent in Ky-Alexia. I spent all night whooping aft in the casinos. By the time the sun came up, they kicked me out for being too good and I was lucky enough to see the sunrise just in time at the right angle.” Skyfire sighed wistfully. “It was something I’d never forget. It actually got me to move to the city.”

“You moved to Ky-Alexia?” Comettor looked at his partner. “But I thought all Seekers lived in Vos. Wasn’t that like some brotherhood cult thing you guys had going on?”

“You’re correct on that account; you were born in Vos, you died in Vos.” Skyfire shrugged. “But the Seekers were being led by Deadscream back then, and she was a few Primes short of a Matrix. When I moved to Ky-Alexia, she didn’t bat a shutter.”

The ground bridge finally appeared behind them and Prowl, Wheeljack and Bumblebee walked out of it. “Sight-seeing’s over, Skyfire, time to get to work.” Prowl said.

“I thought you were supposed to do recon?” Bumblebee said.

“Recon for what, I’m getting readings everywhere!” Skyfire waved her arms at the ruins around them. “Comettor already tried to get a fix on its origin point but he got nothin’.”

Prowl rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “Look, just keep watch for any Cons, then. You can at least do that, can’t you?”

“Don’t worry, Prowler, we’re on the job!” Skyfire transformed and shot into the air with Comettor, blowing dust in Prowl’s face as she did so.

Prowl grumbled about reckless flygirls and looked at Bumblebee, who was standing atop a hill scanning the area. “Bee, did you find anything?”

“No, and Jolt says the areas clear too.” Bumblebee said. “There’s nothing out of the ordinary here.”

“That’s how it always is, but we’ve got to be vigilant.” Prowl said. “We need to looking into every detail of this place, no matter what.”

He remembered how Gina had said this city was the home of the Oracle, a sacred seer that was practically worshipped as the voice of the gods. Of course, Prowl didn’t put much stock in that story, as he figured that the Oracle was an esper with precognition powers. If there was one thing he learned from traveling around this world, it was that history was not as passive as one would think it would be. If you knew where to look, there were surprises right around the corner. And some of them weren’t so welcome to people stumbling across them.

“You know what would be nice?” Jolt asked as he landed on Bumblebee’s shoulder. “If we actually knew what the hell we were looking for. I’m getting sick of flying circles up here trying to get a damn reception. The whole area’s a hot zone for crying out loud!”

“Jolt, I understand your frustration, but I’d rather not fight another two-headed dragon today.” Wheeljack said. “We just need to narrow down our search. You got any ideas, Prowl?”

“I’m working on it.” Prowl said in a tone that said ‘work mode: do not disturb.’

Prowl had noticed how intimately connected these events were to sights that were of great importance to humans both past and present. Sunehra, the Aesir temple in Belka, and even the stone ring in Airlann; all sights of battles and anomalies that occurred in places once inhabited by ancient humans, who obviously had contact with their fair share of otherworldly beings. So if they wanted to find what they were looking for, then they had to think along that line of thought.

‘And Pythia’s most important element is its oracle.’ Prowl thought. “I think I have it.”

“Well, don’t be a stranger. Tell us what’s up.” Jolt said.

“We need to think back to how other missions of this nature turned out. Whenever we detect these anomalies, it leads us to places of great significance.” Prowl explained. “And what is important about Pythia?”

“It’s oracle.” Bumblebee answered, getting what Prowl was trying to say.

“Exactly. Gina said that the oracle’s abode was located in a cave of some sort, so we should start looking for ways underground. No doubt that is where the energy is coming from.”

The team split up in separate directions, looking for any hidden tunnels or caves that might have been covered over by nature over time. Bumblebee and Jolt stayed close to the wall that ran along the edge of the cliff, made by human hands and standing a little taller than the scout himself. Its purpose was unknown, and will remain a mystery for a long time, but it provided a border to keep people from tumbling over the cliff and falling to their deaths.

“What do you think we’ll find at the end of all this?” Jolt asked. “If we find anything at all, that is.”

“I don’t know. After everything I’ve seen since coming to this planet, it’s hard to really guess what’s coming anymore.” Bumblebee replied. “Maybe we might find a powerful weapon of our own, like Nightshade’s bow, or Mjolnir. It’d be nice to have some sweet firepower on our side for once.”

“You could say that again.” Jolt nodded. His eyes scanned the wall, but then he spotted something strange. “Whoa, what’s that?”

Jolt pointed to the opening in the stone wall. It was a neat little staircase that led downward into the earth, which was suspiciously large enough to fit a bot Bumblebee’s size. But the strange thing was that though it led into a cave on one side, on the other was a steep drop. It was like some optical illusion.

“I don’t think that was there before.” Bumblebee said.

Jolt looked into the cave, not brave enough to step into it on his own. He wasn’t liking the look or feeling the tunnel was giving him. “So…ladies first?”

“Maybe we should call the others first.” Bumblebee suggested, sticking his hand into the cave entrance out of curiosity. The air coming from it felt cold, an unnatural coldness often felt when death was nearby. “None of this feels natu-ahhh!”

An unseen force took hold of Bumblebee’s outstretched hand and effortlessly dragged him into the cave. Startled, Jolt ran after him, but was knocked back by an invisible barrier that formed over the entrance. He watched helplessly as his partner was dragged into the darkness, vanishing from sight.

“Bumblebee!”

XXXXXX

“Ow.” Bumblebee groaned as he sat up, rubbing his head. “What hit me?”

He stood up and brushed the dirt from his body as he looked around. He was standing inside a large cave that had pale blue crystals jutting out of the walls and ground. It wasn’t energon, but something told him that these weren’t normal minerals either-at least, to his knowledge. These crystals were something else, and they emanated an energy that hummed faintly. They felt energized, as if charged by electricity. Seeking to return to the surface, Bumblebee turned around, expecting to find the staircase behind him, but only saw a dead end.

“Aw slag.” He muttered. He had no idea where he was, and his only exit was nowhere to be found. He keyed his communicator and called Jolt. “Jolt, this is Bumblebee, do you read me?” He got no reply, not even static. “No, don’t do this to me.”

The yellow Autobot glared at the crystals, thinking that they were the reason he was getting no reception, along with being too deep underground. He remained calm, but something about the crystals, the general feel of them, made him a bit uneasy.

“Come on, Bee. You’ve been in worse situations than this.” He told himself. “Remember your training. Just find an opening that will lead you to the surface so you can find your friends.”

“ _Your friends cannot help you now, alien.”_ A raspy voice intoned, causing Bumblebee to jump.

Bumblebee spun around, drawing his blaster. “Who said that?!”

There was silence, with no indication that anyone besides Bumblebee had spoken. Then the voice returned, “ _Deeper…”_

The scout felt something tugging on his mind in the direction of the only other entrance to the cave he was in. Of course, Bumblebee was wary of moving at the behest of a creepy disembodied voice, but he had no options right now. Cursing his circumstances, he walked into the tunnel lined with smaller crystals in its earthen walls, lighting his way.

Thankfully it wasn’t a long walk before he found himself in a larger cave, one drastically different. Here the crystals were snow white, and it helped increase his visibility here, but the yellow Autobot had no idea what he was looking at.

In the center of the cavern was a tall figure that was encased in a tightly wound cocoon of chains around its body. Bumblebee couldn’t make out its form, but judging from its vaguely human-like face it had to be male. His skin was like granite, cracked and chipped in some places, most notably around the eyes, which were sunken and hollow like an actual skull, and had no eyeballs-just two small lights that burned in its sunken head like miniature suns.

_“So you came after all,”_ The being said, dust venting from its mouth, though its cracked lips did not move. _“As_ _I knew you would. They always come when they hear my voice.”_

‘Oh boy.’ Bumblebee thought and tried to think of something to say. It would be best to start with something simple. “Um, hi there…sir. I’m Bumblebee. An Autobot.”

“ _I know what you are, visitor. Fortitudo’s death has sent ripples throughout the lifestream of this world. It is no easy feat to defeat a Cardinal like that.”_

_“_ How do you know that?”

“ _These crystals,”_ He answered. “ _They are an extension of my senses. What they see and hear, I do as well.”_

Bumblebee did not know what to do in this situation. It was clear that this…thing was of the same ilk as Fortitudo and his legions, but he wasn’t trying to smite him where he stood just for thinking in his presence. Maybe it was the chains, which glowed a bit whenever their prisoner tried to move even a twitch. Bumblebee then realized that maybe this was a blessing in disguise. Here was an obviously powerful being restrained before him, and he was still in one piece. This might be a good time to get some answers.

“Hey, chain guy. I have some questions for you,” He said. “And I am not leaving until I get a solid answer.”

“ _That is fine. It is not like you can leave on your own otherwise, either.”_

Bumblebee ignored that remark. “What are you?”

The being took a moment to speak before answering, “ _An angel.”_

And already they were on a bad start. Angels didn’t exist, and he knew that this guy was no angel. Still, it was something. He’ll worry about the details later. “Okay then. Next question, and don’t try to slag me, pal.” He said sternly. “What is your name?”

_“…Lucifer.”_

XXXXXX

“Only Bumblebee could find something this strange and get in trouble immediately afterwards.” Wheeljack sighed as he studied the cave, tapping on the barrier.

“Poor kid went out the lamest way in Autobot history.” Skyfire said. “Oh well, I’ll carve out his tombstone.”

“He’s not dead, you moron!” Jolt yelled. “But he might be in trouble. Can you guys help him?”

Prowl hummed in thought and fired his blaster at the cave. The bolt bounced off the barrier and hit a tree, splitting it in two. “This is new. Wheeljack, have you found anything out?”

“Only that the barrier is being generated by any machines. I’m getting no readings from any hidden shield generators or hard-light projectors.” Wheeljack said.

“That’s not helping us, Jackie, we need to know what can do.” Skyfire said. “Don’t you guys have countermeasures for this kind of thing?”

“Yes, for shields made from pre-existing cybertronian technology.” Wheeljack replied. “But this isn’t technology. Something or someone’s keeping this shield up, and doesn’t want anyone else dropping in on them.”

“Wonderful.” Skyfire sighed.

“I think I have a solution.” Comettor said. “Energy barriers usually run on a set amount of energy in order to maintain their integrity. But they have to expend even more to maintain their structural integrity under heavy fire, eventually burning out after a few minutes if that fire doesn’t let up.”

“So if we combine our power, then we can cause the barrier to drain its energy and fall apart?” Wheeljack finished. He rubbed his chin, nodding. “That’s a sound plan.”

“It sounds a bit far-fetched, but it’s not like we have a choice.” Prowl motioned for the other Autobots to raise their guns and point them at the cave. “We fire on my signal. Three…two…one…”

Suddenly the area around them went up in flames as a rain of missiles hit their position. The Autobots scattered, looking to the sky to see Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp land on the ground and point their arm cannons at them.

“Don’t even think about resisting, Autobots.” Starscream said, aiming his powerlinked null ray at Prowl. “We have you at a disadvantage. Surrender and we’ll be sure to hand you over to Prime in two pieces or less.”

“What disadvantage? It’s 3v3, equal opportunities to slag all three of you.” Skyfire said.

A black figure suddenly jumped over the wall behind them and rushed at Prowl. Wheeljack slammed into Prowl and knocked him over, just barely avoiding the sharp blade that would’ve beheaded the mech. Flamewar back flipped over to their right and grinned.

“As I said,” Starscream smirked. “Outnumbered.”

Unshaken by how close he nearly came to getting killed, Prowl fired the first shot at Starscream. The Seeker ducked under the bolt and fired a null blast that grazed Prowl’s shoulder. This ignited the firefight between the two sides and laser bolts were flying everywhere. Thundercracker and Skywarp saw Starscream’s motion to attack and charged at Prowl. Skywarp wanted a crack at Prowl but Thundercracker cut in before him and began engaging the Autobot.

“What the hell, man? He’s mine!” Skywarp raged. He didn’t get long to be dragged into another battle as he dodged a strike from Skyfire’s bayonet.

“Eyes on the battle, dumb-dumb.” Skyfire danced around him and slashed at his face and chest.

“I’ve been meaning to repay you for that scrap you pulled back in Alaska!” Skywarp growled.

“Oh cry me a river.” Skyfire groaned.

Skywarp teleported behind Skyfire to attack, but she had already spun around and shot her particle cannon at him, forcing the Con to warp again. Skywarp tried to flank her again, but he only earned a solid punch to his face for his troubles. She kicked him hard in the chest and sent him crashing into a tree, knocking it over and almost burying him under the trunk.

“I thought I already told you,” Skyfire said, rolling her shoulders. “Don’t use that trick on someone who knows how to fight it. You’re not the brightest tool in the shed, are ya?”

“Then how about you fight someone who knows how to fight?”

Flamewar lunged at Skyfire from behind and stabbed two daggers into her arms. The daggers released a strong electrical shock through Skyfire’s circuits that brought her to her knees. Flamewar shot an adhesive energy net at her face that blinded the Autobot and left her open to attack.

“Think you can take him now, genius?” Flamewar asked Skywarp.

“Shut up.” Skywarp growled. He pointed his cannons at Skyfire, but two shells hit him in the right arm and head. Skywarp fell to his knees in agonizing pain as he felt a painful sting on his metal skin and felt something start eating away at his armor. “Acid?!”

Flamewar felt something wrap around her leg and she was lifted off her feet. Wheeljack twirled his energo-whip, swinging Flamewar around before slamming her into the air. When he started to drag her back towards him, Flamewar cut the whip and used the momentum to send her flying towards him. She planted her feet in his face, but Wheeljack grabbed her back armor panels and threw her away. She used a tree branch to regain her balance and land on the ground with the grace of a gymnast.

“You’re a good dance partner for a techie.” She smirked.

“You should see me on Friday nights.” Wheeljack retorted.

Prowl fought Thundercracker and Starscream with only his shock batons for defense. His laser rifle lay on the ground in pieces and all he had for support was Jolt. As if avoiding Thundercracker’s bayonets wasn’t hard enough, he had to dodge Starscream’s null blasts that almost hit something vital three times already.

He waited for Thundercracker to follow up with a forward thrust after slashing at him, ducking under his blade and jamming his baton into the mech’s underside. Thundercracker grunted as he felt a painful jolt rip through his side, but he ignored it and grabbed Prowl’s arm, headbutting the Autobot before trying to carve out his chest with his bayonet. Prowl grabbed the blade with his free hand and struggled against Thundercracker’s strength. He didn’t see Starscream getting into position behind him.

‘Even if we fail the mission,’ Starscream thought. ‘At least I’ll snuff out that insufferable Shockwave wannabe on Prime’s team.’

Aiming his null ray at Prowl, he charged up for a kill shot. Prowl noticed this and diverted Thundercracker’s arm to the ground, gaining a slash to his chest in the process. He spun Thundercracker around and held him in a full nelson, using the Con as a shield as Starscream fired his null ray. The blast hit Thundercracker in the chest, but the EMP current washed over both of them. taking the brunt of the blast, Thundercracker’s systems shut down completely and he fell to the ground, falling into stasis lock. Prowl was still conscious, but he lost all feeling in his limbs and he fell to his knees, his body twitching uncontrollably.

“Sorry Thundercracker, but you know what they say. The mission comes first.” Starscream smirked. He walked over to Prowl. “And as for you…”

“Don’t you dare!” Jolt flew in and pelted Starscream’s head with his machine guns. The Con tried to smack him away, but Jolt skillfully avoided the larger mech’s limbs.

“How cute, the Minicon thinks he can make a difference.” Starscream sneered and tried to take Jolt out with his null ray.

‘Come on, Bee,’ Jolt thought. ‘Where are you?’

XXXXXX

“H-How long were you trapped down here?” Bumblebee asked the mysterious being.

The entity known as Lucifer looked down at the yellow Autobot under him with an unreadable expression. “ _You talk loudly for one so small.”_

“Just answer the question!” He yelled. He was getting sick of this guy’s word games.

“ _I do not know how long I was stuck down here, although I’m sure it was a long time. This cave was once the abode of a woman who could predict the future. She thought her visions, as violent and withering as they are, were messages from her so-called gods.”_ Lucifer chuckled. _“If she knew the truth about her gods, she would’ve killed herself on the spot. The humans had no idea of the power we bestowed upon them. Espers, mutants, gods, different names, same thing.”_

Bumblebee was trying really hard to understand what he was talking about, but most of it went over his head. “Why were you imprisoned here?”

_“That’s a question I can answer. I was put down here for trying to overthrow the Divine Mother. The Mother of All, in all Her glory. I sought to set my people free and lead them to an assured future with another who sought the same goals.”_

“A rebellion.”

_“One that I led myself. A third of the Host joined me in fighting for our future, and we were nearly an unstoppable force that even the four Cardinals could not match.”_ Lucifer chuckled bitterly. _“I was such a fool back then. To raise arms against a Queen; I would have a better chance fighting death itself. The fury with which she had struck Her sister down was divine. I have never forgotten the terror I felt back then, even after all these centuries.”_

Lost in his memories, Lucifer’s power leaked from his body and slowly filled the cave, washing over Bumblebee. The scout stumbled back as his mind was briefly linked with Lucifer’s, allowing him to see the ancient being’s memories. He saw flashes, short clips of those angelic beings that plagued his team back on Brigadoon. Many were the bird-like angels and hulking brutes, but some were also humanoid, clad in red and gold armor wielding swords as long as their bodies. The whole battlefield was just a chaotic slaughter of angels killing each other for reasons Bumblebee couldn’t even dream of. It was like seeing a live scene from the Divine Comedy, a living mural of angels arranged in a circle around a bright light that shined like a star in the center.

He saw Lucifer, inhumanly beautiful and radiant, flying towards the center, arm raised to throw a spear. The light at the center shined brightly and a large feminine hand as large as Lucifer’s body reached out and bathed him in an impossibly bright light. Then he felt pain erupt over his body.

“Stop it!” Bumblebee cried out. The vision abruptly ended and he was back in the cave again, sitting on his knees in front of Lucifer with smoke rising from his armor.

“ _My apologies, I can barely control my body these days. Had you been human, you either would’ve gone insane by now or been incinerated on the spot.”_ Lucifer said as if he was talking about the weather. “ _But that light, that ever shining bright star, that is the power you fight against, alien. My followers numbers’ are low, and they slumber in the bowels of the earth, but they still surpass you in power, and even they could not defeat her. You cannot fight against the Host of Laguna-not against Her.”_

Bumblebee tried to ignore the pain all over his body and glared up at Lucifer. “What the hell are you?”

_“Haven’t you been listening, alien?”_ Lucifer’s tone was mocking. _“I am an angel.”_

Lucifer’s skeletal head moved slightly as he felt something hit his barrier. There was a battle going on up above, more aliens.

_“It seems there is a battle going on near my cave. Friends of yours, perhaps?”_ He asked. He didn’t give Bumblebee a chance to answer as he continued. _“I see. In that case, I will have to ask you to leave. I don’t want intruders laying waste to my land with their petty squabbles.”_

“Wait, I’m not finished yet!” Bumblebee shouted.

_“Oh, but you are.”_ Lucifer said. _“And just to make sure your friends know how serious I am…”_

Lucifer’s eyes glowed even brighter, increasing in intensity until Bumblebee was forced to shut his eyes. A warm light washed over his body, searing into every pore of his being. Suddenly he felt something enter his mind…no, someone.

_“Time to see how much the world has changed after millennia.”_

XXXXXX

Prowl leapt up and grabbed Starscream’s arm, forcing the null ray away from Jolt. Starscream tried to shake him off, but Prowl had a good grip on his arms.

“You can barely stand, Autobot!” Starscream hissed. “Just give up and hand over the weapon!”

“There is no weapon!” Prowl grunted. “We haven’t found a damn thing since we got here.”

“Lies!” Starscream kicked Prowl away and stabbed his bayonet into the Autobot’s shoulder, dragging him painfully through the ground by his wound. He shoved his null ray into Prowl’s face and shouted, “You know what this anomaly is, so tell me!”

Skyfire tore off the netting over her face and saw Prowl being held at gunpoint. Without hesitation, he grabbed his particle cannon and pointed it at Starscream. She started to pull the trigger, hoping that she didn’t sear Prowl’s face off in the process. But someone else beat her to the punch.

A beam of light shot from the cave and hit Starscream in the chest, nearly burning straight through his chest plate and into his Spark core. Starscream gave an agonizing scream as he felt the light literally burn into his body and fell to the ground, writhing in the dirt. Prowl looked up and saw a glowing figure emerge from the cave, their appearance causing all fighting in the area to cease. Autobots and Decepticons alike turned to the cave and saw the figure step into the light. Jolt saw that it was Bumblebee and almost ran to him, but Prowl held him back. That wasn’t just Bumblebee.

Bumblebee’s body was emitting a bright golden white aura, his blue eyes a seamless white. His body, his essence, was being controlled by Lucifer. The Autobot’s form was eclipsed by an outline of Lucifer’s taller, humanoid form that was beautiful in appearance, with marble white stone skin and hair that shined like gold with eyes that glowed like stars. Lucifer gazed up at the sun and smiled.

“ _The sun, the moon, the earth! How glorious to be able to see you all again, even for just a moment.”_ Lucifer laughed.

“B-Bumblebee?” Jolt stammered, almost afraid to speak, but forced himself forward. He jumped a little when Lucifer’s gaze turned to him.

_“I will say this only once, aliens,”_ Lucifer said, his voice speaking through Bumblebee’s mouth. _“Leave this place, for it is under my rule. Take your war to some other domain, far from here. I’m trying to have a peaceful imprisonment.”_

“This land doesn’t belong to you.” Prowl said. “It belongs to humanity.”

Lucifer smiled and flashed over to Prowl, kneeling over him. His gaze was like he was looking down at a child who didn’t know any better. _“That’s what you think. Listen, Prowl, I’m trying to be nice here. The others of my kind aren’t as nice as I am. They will kill you on the spot without even learning your name. Because I am sympathetic to your people’s plight, I’m letting you off with a warning. So run on home before I get angry.”_

“You don’t give the orders here, slaghead!” Skywarp bellowed. “Decepticons never run from a battle!”

‘With morons like these, it’s a wonder people ask me why I left the Cons in the first place.’ Flamewar thought. She slowly backed away as Lucifer stood up, eyes flaring.

Lucifer flexed his body and his aura flared up, bathing the darkened area in light. His body shook, as if he was about to go nova, and Flamewar thought he was going to do just that.

“Skywarp, grab the two idiots and warp us out of here!” She exclaimed.

“No way, sister, we’re not run-“ Flamewar grabbed Skywarp and shoved her blaster under his chin.

“We are leaving now, or you’re going to be short one brain module!” She sneered. “Now go!”

Skywarp obeyed her, grabbing Starscream and Thundercracker before teleporting away with Flamewar. With the Cons gone, Lucifer turned his attention to Skyfire and Wheeljack, who were pointing their weapons at him.

“We’re not going anywhere without the little guy.” Skyfire said.

Lucifer smiled. _“You can have him. My work is done here.”_ He looked back at the setting sun as it finally vanished into the horizon _. “So beautiful and serene, I wonder how long it will last before your war sets this land aflame.”_

Lucifer’s body released another flash of light that forced the Autobots to cover their eyes. When the flash faded away, all that was left was an unconscious Bumblebee smoke rising from his body. Prowl ran over to the scout and looked him over, flinching back after laying a hand on him. He was very hot, like he just got out of atmospheric entry.

“Is…he alright?” Jolt asked.

“His vitals are stable, he’s just unconscious. Let’s get him back to the Ark for Ratchet to look him over.” Prowl said. “And I need to report to Prime about this.”

Prowl turned to the cave, only to find it gone, replaced by stone. Any sign of it, and Lucifer, was gone, as if they never existed in the first place.

XXXXXX

Megatron sat on his throne in the heart of the Decepticon base, silent as he listened to Starscream and Flamewar give their report on what happened. His silence unnerved the two Cons, who were expecting him to lose his temper at some point during their report for their failure. Once Starscream was finished, he tried to save face by placing the blame on Flamewar.

“As you can see, Megatron,” Starscream said. “We failed to retrieve anything of value. No thanks to that entity and Flamewar’s cowardice.”

“I only did what was necessary to survive, lord Megatron,” Flamewar said calmly. She knew she was not at fault here. “After seeing how effortlessly the being took out Starscream with a single attack, I was not going to let our entire team be at its mercy. Better to run and fight another day.”

“You little…” Starscream hissed but Megatron’s glare stopped him short.

“For once in your life, Starscream, you are not at fault here, and neither are you, Flamewar.” Megatron said. “That anamoly was something out of our control, and that was that. it’s clear that no one won today, so we’ll let it be. Dismissed.”

Starscream and Flamewar bowed their heads and made to leave the bridge, but Megatron gave Starscream some parting words.

“Oh, and Starscream, I would advise steering clear of Thundercracker for a few hours. He is in a bad mood thanks to your little friendly fire incident.”

The scowl on Starscream’s face as he left certainly made Megatron’s day. The Seeker commander only shot himself in the foot when he pulled stupid stunts like that on his Seekers. The more he blundered, the more loyal his supposed brothers became to Megatron. In the end, Starscream will be left alone in his attempts to gain power, and Megatron couldn’t wait to see it all crumble around him. It would be poetic for him to die at the hands of an ally just like his accursed sister.

However, he had more pressing concerns to worry about. This was another encounter with those angelic beings that seemed to be everywhere on this planet. Megatron wasn’t liking how they kept running into these things and still not knowing what the hell they were. He knew they were intimately connected to Terra’s distant past, and if he wanted this campaign to go smoothly, then he needed to know what these beings were and how to fight them.

He wasn’t going to let a bunch of aliens with a god complex ruin his plans for conquering this world and annihilating the Autobots!

XXXXXX

Bumblebee was taken to the medibay, where he regained consciousness after a little dip in the CR chamber. As he got a diagnostic check-up from Ratchet, he recounted his experiences to Optimus. He couldn’t remember what happened after his chat with Lucifer, but Jolt was kind enough to fill in the blanks. Once he was done, Ratchet gave them the results.

“He’ll be very exhausted, Optimus, but nothing serious. There aren’t any side effects I can detect, so he’ll recover just fine.” Ratchet said.

“That’s good. We need some good news after hearing about today’s events.” Optimus sighed. “The power of these beings continues to worry me.”

“Same here, but it’s nothing we can do anything about right now.” Ratchet said and walked over to his work table. “You can talk to Bumblebee, but keep the conversation to a minimum please.”

“I will, thank you.” Optimus turned to Bumblebee, who was sitting on the medical table, lost in thought. “How are you feeling, Bumblebee?”

“Tired, and a bit…shaken.” Bumblebee said, rubbing the back of his head. “He…was in me, Optimus. He was controlling my body, my mind…he was so powerful.”

“I know, Bumblebee. I’m sorry you had to go through that. These angels are more dangerous than we thought.” Optimus crossed his arms. “Their powers are beyond what I had expected from them.”

Bumblebee was quiet for a few minutes, trying to gather his thoughts. There was a question hanging on the tip of his vocoder, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. But Optimus could see right through him and he asked what was on his mind.

“Optimus, do you believe in gods?”

Optimus wasn’t expecting that question. “I’m sorry?”

“I’ve seen Lucifer’s memories, and there are thousands of them sleeping on this planet. They’re not regular beings, Optimus, their powers are insane and their appearance,” Bumblebee shook his head, his expression haunted. “It’s like seeing those hold human bible scriptures come to life. I’ve never felt so afraid in my life.”

“Bumblebee, I hold the Matrix of Leadership in my chest. It is said to hold a fragment of Primus’ Spark within it, and it carries great power. But that doesn’t mean I believe in Primus. Only that there may be a higher power that holds dominion over all our fates.” Optimus said. “Vector Sigma, the Matrix, the Thirteen Primes, all beings of great power, but are not gods. These angels may be powerful, but they are not gods. That is just a delusion that they have made for themselves to justify subjugating lesser beings. They are mortal and vulnerable to death. Don’t let your fear of them control you, Bumblebee. That is how they control people.”

Bumblebee nodded. “Okay, thanks, Optimus.”

“Anything for a friend, Bumblebee.” Optimus patted the scout’s shoulder and turned to Jolt. “Jolt, make sure Bumblebee gets his rest.”

“I will, Prime.” Jolt nodded.

Optimus left the medibay with heavy thoughts weighing on his mind. Bumblebee’s question rang in his mind. He never put much stock in religion, especially with how easily it could be used to justify the most horrid atrocities on some worlds. He truly didn’t believe in gods like some others of his kind do; if there was a god who created their race, some abstract creator who sowed the seeds of life of some of the strangest life forms in the universe, then Optimus knew they would weep at how far their precious creations had fallen.

 

 

 

 


	31. Into the Blue

Chapter 30-Into the Blue

Gina stood before the massive door that led to Optimus’ quarters. The Autobot leader had called the young girl to meet with him after she got out of school, and she was a little nervous. Why would Optimus want to speak with her in private? Did she do something wrong? Was he mad at her for making laser weapons with the Minicons? She knew Roll Bar couldn’t be trusted to keep a secret, the loudmouth. Gina just hoped Optimus didn’t learn about the “boom-stick”.

“Uh, Optimus,” Gina called out. “I’m here.”

“Come in, Gina.” Optimus said from inside.

The door slid open for her and she entered the room…with Sara right behind her. The extremely protective android hovered over her shoulder like a second shadow whenever she was in the Ark or meeting with the Autobots, treating both them and the Minicons with a certain degree of suspicion and caution. At first Gina thought her dedication was cute, but now it was getting kind of annoying; but no matter what she said, Sara was persistent on protecting her from any perceived “threat”. At this point, she had quit trying to stop the robo-girl from doing her apparent “job”, though it hasn’t stopped Penny from making a few jokes at her expense.

Gina took a quick look around the room. Prime’s quarters didn’t look any different from the other Autobots’ rooms, save for being a bit bigger. It wasn’t as decorated as she thought it would be, though Optimus wasn’t the sort to keep a case full of trophies or mount antique weapons on his wall like some (Annie) would do. The place was humble, just like its occupant, and soft orchestra music playing soothed her nerves.

“Good afternoon, Optimus,” Gina greeted the red and blue giant standing in front of his desk. “Sorry about Sara. She insisted that she come along and…you know.”

“That’s alright, Gina. It’s no problem.” Optimus said. He walked over to the girls and held his hand out to them. gina and Sara stepped into his palm and he lifted them up with a gentleness only Prime could have. He carried them over to his desk and deposited them on its smooth, reflective surface. “Are you comfortable?”

“I am, thank you.” Gina smiled. He was always thinking about their well being. “I never pegged you for a lover of classical music.”

“It’s something I’ve taken to listening to in my spare time.” He told her, sitting in his chair. “I find that I relax better when I’m listening to it. It feels like it’s the only way I can settle down these days.’

“You wanted to speak to Ms. Gina about something, Autobot.” Sara rudely cut in, staring up at Optimus with her deep emerald eyes. “So speak.”

“Sara, be nice!” Gina scolded her android guardian. “He’s a friend, so show him some respect!”

Optimus looked at Sara and wondered who built her. She was obviously not of terran origin, she was far too advanced for anything even the likes of OZ can produce. But her technological aspects…they faintly echoed of cybertronian influences. Where she came from, who built her, and why she was on that island in the first place were answers Sara guarded with her life and refused to tell anyone, even Gina. Her interest in Gina was also very curious, though Optimus doubted that she would provide an answer for that as well. At this point, she was just another surprising discovery on this planet. What else was surprising?

“Gina,” Optimus began, drawing the blonde’s attention to him. “You’re very knowledgable in world history, yes?”

“Well, it depends what the topic is.” Gina shrugged. “My dad is an archaeologist and most of what I now is thanks to him taking me along on his digs every once in a while.”

“In that case, how much do you know about Arian culture?”

“Pretty much everything you’ve already learned from your missions.” She replied. “The Arians were history’s first global world power in the Age of Wonders. They were an empire, taking control of large amounts of territory, assimilating other nations into their rule without interfering with the cultures or practices within those regions. It goes without saying that they had an advanced knowledge of astrology, science and technology despite lacking modern tools.”

“Which brings me to the reason I brought you here.” Optimus pressed a button on his desk and multiple holo-images appeared before Gina. She adjusted her glasses as she studied the images; they were of the “angels” that the Autobots encountered on Brigadoon. “It’s clear that these beings have been in contact with humanity in the past, but I cannot be sure how long ago that has been.”

“And you think that they might have a connection to the Arian Empire.” Gina stated. Optimus nodded and she crossed her arms. “It seems like a reasonable theory. There was no way the Arians could have possibly come up with things like golems and Vimana on their own.”

“I’ve done some investigating of my own and noticed that a number of angelic beings from your world’s mythology look very similar to the beings we fought. I don’t recall seeing them in Arian lore, though.”

“The Arians do speak of them, but in a different manner.” Sara said, taking the stage. “Arian scriptures speak of these otherworldly beings with names unpronounceable to the human tongue. They taught humanity the secrets of the world, and of their bodies, both physical and spiritual. They taught man how to live, learn, and grow as a species, on top of teaching them science and medicine.”

“I’ve never heard that before.” Gina frowned.

“That is because any mention of them was erased from their records. All that remains are brief mentions of them before the event known as the Great Cataclysm.” Sara explained.

“How do you know this?”

“I did some extensive research of my own on these creatures as they posed a threat to you, Ms. Gina. I stumbled on this rare piece of information but thought it wasn’t important enough to tell you about it.” Sara bowed her head. “My apologies.”

“So it’s true, they are the reason for the Arians’ major advancements…and possibility the ones behind the destruction of their civilization.” Optimus said.

“If that’s the case, where are they now? You’d think the world would be under the control of these things if they’re all as strong as that Fortitudo guy.” Gina said.

“Perhaps their hibernation is the cause of something out of their power.” Optimus muttered. “Gina, could you do something for me?”

“Sure, what is it?” She asked.

“Since you know so much about Terra’s ancient history, could you please do some more research into these angels?” Optimus requested. “You have a better grasp on this than anyone on this ship, and I think it’s crucial that we know at least somewhat what we’re dealing with.”

Gina looked up at Prime in shock. “You want my help? B-But what can I do compared to you guys?”

“You’re a smart girl, Gina, the brightest of your generation. You’ve already helped us numerous times in the past, and your intelligence has helped us save the lives of many Minicons. I truly believe you have the skills for this task.”

Gina felt her cheeks turn pink at the praise she got. Earning the respect of Optimus Prime was something many Autobots dreamed of all their lives and here she was, a little human girl from a distant, backwater planet being treated like one of the team by the mech himself. “I’ll do my best, Optimus, but don’t expect any miracles.”

“Your best is enough.” He said. “Trust me.”

A chime came from the terminal and Ratchet’s face appeared on the monitor. “Optimus, we’ve detected a stasis panel activation.”

“I’ll be right there, Ratchet.” Optimus said and stood up. “It seems I have a task of my own to complete.”

“We’ll just be getting out of your way, then.” Gina turned around and started walking…right off the edge of the desk. Sara grabbed the back of her shit and pulled her back. “Whoa! Thanks, Sara. Jinkies, um…Optimus, could you lend a hand please?”

Optimus chuckled and helped the two girls down to the floor near the door. It was young people like Gina who gave him such strong hopes for humanity.

XXXXXX

“So,” Jazz drawled as he looked down at the water below him. “Anyone up for a swim?”

The words were said in jest, but none of the Autobots were particularly thrilled about taking a dip in the Ceres Ocean. The team, consisting of Optimus, Wheeljack, Arcee, Jazz and Sparkplug stood on the edge of a cliff not too far from where Prowl’s group had their otherworldly encounter two days ago. The stasis panel’s signal was coming from the Ceres Ocean near the Elladan subcontinent, deep underwater. That meant they had to take dive into the ocean if they wanted to get that Minicon.

“Please don’t tell me we’re actually going to swim.” Arcee groaned.

“Okay, we’re not actually going to swim.” Jazz said. Arcee glared at him and he grinned.

“You lived in Ky-Alexia, Cee,” Wheeljack said. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of water.”

“Just because I was born in a seaside city doesn’t make me a swimmer. Being underwater is worse than being in space, all that pressure around you, crushing you if you get too deep.” Arcee shuddered. There was a reason she never took missions to water worlds if she could help it. Leave that stuff to bots with marine alt modes.

“With my underwater gear, you shouldn’t have to worry about anything like drowning and the like.” Wheeljack said, referring to the aquatic add-ons he supplied the team specifically for this mission. It was a pair of detachable underwater propellers meant to increase their speed in the water, so as to lessen the time they’d have to spend swimming.

“If it doesn’t blow up when we switch it on, I’m down.” Jazz said. He patted Arcee’s shoulder before running off the cliff and performing a few fancy flips before hitting the water with a big splash.

Arcee waited for Wheeljack to go before her and followed him. She wondered if her aversion to water was because of spending so much time around Peppercat. That little kitty avoided water like the plague. Her dive was even smoother than Jazz’s, sinking into the water with a minimal splash. Once she was in, Optimus held onto Sparkplug and jumped into the water, breaking through the surface with enough force that a human would suffer from broken bones, but Prime wasn’t fazed at all.

The water was cold, as to be expected, and jumping in was a little disorienting at first with how choppy the waters had been that afternoon. The Autobots quickly grouped up and adjusted their optical sensors to the dark, murky waters and switched on their internal comm-link to avoid talking and swallowing water for those who had mouths. It wasn’t like they could drown, but it was very unsettling to have gallons of water rush into your mouth and weigh you down. That wasn’t good for their internal components.

“Is everyone okay?” Optimus asked.

“We’re good, boss bot.” Jazz said. Arcee and Wheeljack also gave their confirmation that they were doing fine, though Arcee had a scowl on her face as she tried to acclimate to the cold water surrounding her. “Well, most of us.”

“Shut up, Jazz.” Arcee grunted. “Let’s go before we get attacked by a giant squid or something.”

Sparkplug swam onto Optimus’ shoulder and took out his waterproof scanner (courtesy of Liftor). “I’ve got a reading on the panel’s signal, but it’s faint. It’s just a few kliks north by northeast, but judging by the distance, we might have to swim deeper.” Sparkplug said.

“That’s fine, Sparkplug. We will deal with any obstacles should they get in our way.” Optimus said and started swimming. “Autobots, activate your thrusters and stay close to each other.”

The team activated their high powered turbines and swam in formation, turning on their headlights as they headed into deeper waters. Thanks to the turbines, they were already reaching depths most human submarines were unable to go due to water pressure. The Autobots, made of stronger alloys, were unaffected by the intense water pressures, but going any deeper would still be detrimental to their bodies. Terra’s conditions may not be harsh enough to immediately threaten them, but given time, Mother Nature could bring even the hardiest bot to their knees.

“Sparkplug, how deep do we have to go?” Arcee asked. “I don’t like the way things are looking here. We’re going a little too deep for my liking.”

“Cee is right. Any deeper and the ocean will put the squeeze on us.” Jazz said.

“It won’t be too far, guys.” Sparkplug said. “We don’t have to worry about water pressure for quite some time, right Optimus?”

Optimus didn’t answer. He was more concerned with the creature that was stalking them. At first he thought it was just the local fauna, but then he realized that the creature tailing them was too big to live this deep in the ocean. Quietly scanning the environment, he spotted large shadow moving behind a rock formation and quickly took out his ion cannon.

“Whoa, what’s up, Prime?” Jazz asked.

“Something is following us.” Optimus said, looking for the creature. “Weapons ready, Autobots. We’re not alone.”

The Autobots did as ordered when they heard a loud, metallic groan that was slightly muffled by the water. It echoed throughout the dark depths like a whale’s call, but sounded artificial and robotic. No animal lived this deep in the ocean and made those noises. It lasted for several minutes and the Autobots waited for some kind of attack to come. But when the groans died down, nothing happened.

“Huh,” Jazz said after a period of silence. “Guess it was nothing.”

“Attack!”

The Autobots were assaulted by a barrage of weapons fire from above and looked up to see Nightshade and the Seekers descended upon them through the water. The sea floor exploded around them, and explosions caused them to scatter, though they were slightly diluted by the water, but were no less destructive.

“Target the jolly red giant!” Thundercracker shouted. “He’s a sitting duck there!”

“That’s what you think!” Optimus fired his ion cannon and grazed the Seeker’s wing. “You’re no speed demon yourself.”

“These guys aren’t as deadly underwater as they in the air.” Wheeljack said, swimming around a missile shot by Skywarp and returned fire with his blaster. “They’re slower down here.”

“Yeah, but so are we.” Jazz grappled to a boulder and pulled himself around to slam into Skywarp.

“Get off me, you little worm!” Skywarp hissed.

“No way, bro! You weren’t invited to this pool party!” Jazz fired a shot into Skywarp’s wing and punched him in the face, shooting the larger mech in the chest repeatedly.

Starscream paid the others no mind as he transformed to robot mode and shot towards Optimus and Sparkplug. “Prime is mine!”

“Starscream!” Nightshade flew after Starscream, using her thrusters to move faster through the water to reach him. “Don’t break formation, you fool!”

Sparkplug powerlinked with Optimus, who raised his ion cannon and waited for them to get closer. Despite still having a speed advantage, Nightshade and Starscream were still severely hampered by the dense water hindering their movements. A few well placed shots should ground them long enough for the Autobots to get out of the area. This wasn’t the place for a long, drawn battle. Unfortunately, nature had the same idea.

Something large and fast crashed through an undersea volcano with the force of a bullet train, speeding through the water and giving a horrific metallic groan. Optimus quickly turned to the creature, which looked like a giant lobster made of metal and as large as two Osean submarines put together, with large claws and a collection of spiraling patterns along the length of its body. Its pincers snapped and clawed at the ground, smashing through dirt and stone like a bulldozer. Its beady red eyes glowed dangerously as it zeroed in on the cybertronians. This monster was no animal, it was a golem!

“What the hell is that?” Thundercracker exclaimed.

“That would be a giant fish, my friend.” Jazz said. He whistled as it smashed its pincers through another rock formation. “A very angry fish. Thank Primus I don’t eat lobster.”

“Now’s not the time for jokes, Jazz,” Arcee said. “We need to make tracks before that thing pounds us into a sea wreck!”

“Wheeljack!” Optimus turned to his engineer, who was already mapping an escape route.

“There!” Wheeljack pointed to a large crevice in the ground not too far from them. “We can go through there. It’s too narrow for that thing to swim through.”

“Then let’s boogey!” Jazz kicked off the boulder he was sitting on and swam for the opening alongside his team. Skywarp saw the Autobots retreating and fired a few shots at them, missing entirely.

“The Autobots are getting away!” Skywarp growled and glared up at the giant golem. “That was my pay day you stupid fish!”

Skywarp teleported in front of the golem’s face, close enough that its red eyes reflected off his body and pointed his cannons at it. Seeing this, Nightshade, Starscream and Thundercracker tried to stop him from angering the might beast.

“Don’t shoot!” They all yelled.

Skywarp ignored them as he fired multiple laser blasts into its face, shattering one of its eye lens. The golem reared back, completely unscathed by the blasts and howled in anger. Skywarp’s bravado faded within seconds as he saw the golem glaring down at him.

“Oh frag.” He whimpered.

Its mandibles slammed together and channeled energy from its core to create a node between its mandibles. Skywarp realized it was going to attack and teleported away just as it fired an icy blue beam of energy. The beam shot through the water, illuminating the dark area and hit the sea floor with a large explosion that left a deep crater in the ground.

Optimus watched in awe as the golem went on a rampage, wreaking havoc on everything in its sights. It fired powerful bolts of energy and swung its massive pincers like giant clubs. For a golem modeled after an animal humans eat at fancy restaurants, this thing was extremely terrifying. It was surprising, given that it’s a product of Arian technology. Knowing that there was once an army of these machines roaming the world at some point didn’t put one’s fears at ease.

“Those guys are so fragged.” Jazz muttered.

“Optimus, Jazz, we need to get going before that thing sees us.” Wheeljack warned them.

Optimus nodded and jumped down into the crevice with Jazz. As they went deeper into the tunnel that ran under the tectonic plate, the sounds of the battle got softer and softer, until they couldn’t hear anything and all was silent once more.

XXXXXX

The Autobots followed the curving tunnel that took them deeper into the darkest parts of the ocean. They didn’t know where they were going or how far they had to go. It was only thanks to the panel’s signal that they knew where to go. Eventually they reached the end of the tunnel and emerged at the bottom of a large pool. They swam to the surface and emerged in a small cave. What was different about this cave was that it looked like the inside of a large dome, with broken statues lying on the ground.

“I wasn’t expecting this.” Arcee muttered. She saw the remains of stone columns and the head of a statue sitting near the cave entrance, which was at the top of a small flight of stairs of all things. “Was this place inhabited?”

The Autobots swam onto land and explored the area. Optimus ran his hand along the walls, which had stylized pictographs carved into the stone. They depicted humanoid figures, but one also showed an image of the golem that almost killed them.

“This place was made by human hands.” Optimus said. “And I believe the golem was guarding this area.”

“But why? There’s nothing here?” Wheeljack said.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover, Jackie.” Jazz pointed to the pathway leading from the cavern deeper into an underground network. “This road leads to someplace. It might be some ancient highway.”

“Ancient highway?” Arcee echoed, sounding skeptical. “And this highway leads to where exactly?”

“That’s what we’re going to find out.” Sparkplug said. He popped off Prime’s arm and landed on the ground in vehicle mode. “Let’s go exploring.”

The damaged but mostly intact pathway extended from the cave into a larger network of tunnels. The “highway” split into multiple paths, much like modern highways. Some led to dead ends, while others led to other caves that had nothing of value or were completely untouched. They mainly followed the central path that was easier to navigate and use as a waypoint.

After twenty minutes of driving along the ancient road in their vehicle modes, sometimes walking and climbing if they needed to, before they reached the end of the path. They passed under an archway that had the crumbled remains of two humanoid statues standing on both sides, which thankfully weren’t golems in disguise. That trick quickly wore thin and the Autobots were sick of being caught by surprise at this point.

They entered another, longer tunnel that went for a few miles in an upward slope. They climbed and climbed until they reached the top, where they came upon another archway, this one leading to a cliff overlooking a truly massive underground pocket of air. And in the middle of this gigantic cavern, sitting on a circular piece of bedrock across a canyon with magma rising from the mantle down below, was a city. An uninhibited city deep in the darkest part of the ocean, where no human had ever gone before.

“Is anyone here surprised at seeing a city thousands of leagues deep underwater inside a cave?” Jazz asked.

“Nope.” Wheeljack said.

“I’m not even surprised anymore.” Arcee said.

“I’m getting used to it.” Sparkplug said.

“I’m getting used to this planet’s abundance of mysteries. At this point, few things surprise me anymore.” Optimus commented.

Jazz clapped his hands. “Good, then it’s not just me.”

Wheeljack pointed his scanner at the city and the device beeped. “Looks like our Minicon is somewhere in that city.”

“Okay,” Arcee frowned. “But how are we going to get over there?”

Optimus pointed at a stone bridge just a few feet away from them that led to the other side. It looked stable and large enough to drive over them in their alt modes, but given its age, it was best not to be reckless.

“Onward and downward, my friends.” Jazz said as he walked over to the bridge. “Onward and downward.”

XXXXXX

Nightshade tried to maintain her aim as she fired an arrow from Gandiva at the golem’s metal carapace, but it only left a small hole in its armor. The golem remained unfazed as it’s pursued its prey, firing bolts of lightning from its mandibles that tore apart the sea floor, while snapping at the Seekers with its oversized pincers. They weren’t doing much to damage it, only further pissing it off.

‘This is getting us nowhere!’ Nightshade thought. ‘The Autobot are long gone and we can’t move without this stupid robot chasing us around!’

She sent Songbird ahead to scout an escape route, but hadn’t heard back from her yet, and the Seekers weren’t having much luck in dealing significant damage to the golem with their laser blasts and missiles, which were slowed down significantly by the water. A bolt fired by the golem sheared Thundercracker’s right wing and he was forced to transform to avoid crashing into the ground. A large shadow fell over him and he saw that it was the golem’s massive pincer falling down on him.

“I got ya!” Skywarp appeared next to his Seeker brother and teleported away just before the massive claw slammed into the ground. Then the golem spun its head and fired a bolt at an undersea mountain behind the spot the two Seekers reappeared at, blasting them apart.

“What the-is that thing predicting our flight patterns?” Starscream questioned, eyes wide and teeth gnashing angrily.

‘If this goes on any longer, we’ll run out of energy and ammo before we even find the Autobots.’ Nightshade thought. “Songbird, where the hell are you!”

“Mistress!” Songbird swam over to Nightshade, shooting through the water like a living torpedo. “I’ve found an escape route. It’s through there!”

The Minicon pointed her wing at the same crevice the Autobots took and Nightshade wasted no time in swimming towards it. “Seekers, to me!”

Starscream saw Nightshade making her escape and nodded to Skywarp. The purple Seeker grabbed Thundercracker, warped to Starscream, then teleported to Nightshade, where they all transformed and flew into the small opening. The golem immediately gave chase, firing its energy bolts that sent rocks and dust flying everywhere. They Cons made it into the crevice, but the golem was still hot on their tail.

‘Don’t look back, don’t look back!’ Starscream chanted in his mind as he forced himself not to turn back as the metal monstrosity tried to squeeze itself into the crevice to catch them, snapping its pincers at them in a futile attempt to crush them.

When it realized that it was unable to catch them, the golem settled with firing energy bolts that reached farther than it could. Explosions trailed behind the Cons as they flew through the tunnel, but they continued moving as fast as possible, even when their vision was obscured by dirt and rocks.

XXXXXX

When the Autobots reached the city, they saw that it was quite different from what they were expecting. Unlike Arian architecture, the design of the buildings were domed or curved, fluid in design and appearance, but very sturdy at their foundations. The city was completely deserted, and the streets and buildings were made of clear blue stone that gave the settlement a fresh, aquatic feeling. Homes, shops, temples, they all were very old, but not as old that they should be. What was very peculiar was that the statues of what were possibly public figures depicted humanoid figures with fish-like appearances like webbed hands and feet and even gills.

‘This city wasn’t populated by humans.’ Optimus thought. ‘Or maybe these were espers evolved to live down here. How many secrets does this planet have?’

In their vehicle modes, the Autobots drove through the empty streets using the signal to guide them through the maze-like city. Wheeljack and Arcee took in everything they could, honestly awestruck by what they saw.

“Is anyone else curious about why there’s a city this deep underwater?” Wheeljack asked.

“Jackie, we’re all thinking the same thing, but exploring isn’t at the top of our priorities right now.”

“I know, but I just want to see what we’re dealing with.” Wheeljack said. “We just avoided getting blown apart by a giant golem shaped like a lobster, I think I’d rather know what’s coming next. You think there’s any golems that look like sharks or something?”

“Jackie, please don’t jinx us.” Jazz sighed. “Carnivorous robo-fish is the last thing we need.”

When the Autobots finally reached the heart of the city, they stopped and transformed in front of a temple at the top of a long staircase. Climbing the stairs, they made it to the top, where they saw a large domed temple at the other side of a large pond that had still living lotus pods floating on the surface. The Autobots stood outside the temple’s main gate, which was a giant stone archway that barely looked older than a few years. Someone went to great lengths to preserve this place. Optimus took a step forward, but stopped when he heard a voice greet them.

“I never thought I’d have visitors in this lonely city of mine. Poseidon works in many strange ways.”

The Autobots drew their weapons and pointed them at the large figure that hopped into their view. It was a golem, but one that wasn’t as violent as the lobster golem back out at sea. It had a feline construction, its armor gold and silver, but had a head that was eerily similar to a human woman with golden eyes and a smirk on her face. She stood at 20 feet tall, reaching Prime’s elbow. The creature walked in front of the archway, never taking her gaze off the Autobots.

“What are you?” Wheeljack asked bluntly. Arcee elbowed him for his rudeness.

“I am the guardian sphinx of this city, charged with protecting its treasures. You may call me Orphia.”

“A sphinx? Aren’t you like a golem or something?” Jazz crossed his arms. “Granted, I’ve never seen a golem that could talk.”

“I’m simply one of the few who’ve retained their sanity following the Shattering.” Orphia said cryptically. She looked the Autobots up and down. “I knew someone might stumble upon this city sooner or later, but I was expecting someone more…”

“Human?” Arcee finished.

“I was going to say smaller, but human works too.” Orphia sat down as she continued to survey the visitors with her large eyes. “Now then, may I know the identities of those who braved the Leviathan’s wrath to come here?”

Optimus stepped forward. “I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. We mean you no harm, great sphinx.”

“Of course you don’t, you merely seek to pilfer this city’s sacred relics.” Orphia laughed. “You are no different from the others who sought to gain wealth through thievery. Many have tried and many have failed.” She nodded towards the large pool behind her. Unknown to the Bots, the bottom of the pool was covered in a layer of human remains, victims of the sphinx’s unexpected ferocity. “Will you succeed in getting past me, or will you end up like the other poor souls who thought they could best me?”

“We simply came here seeing another one of our kind. In that temple lies a panel holding a being like us, a refugee who fell to this world ages ago.” Optimus said.

“So please, just let us pass. You can make sure that we won’t take anything else.” Sparkplug pleaded.

“No,” Orphia refused, though she was polite about it. “If you want to pass, then you must prove that you are worthy of stepping foot on sacred ground.”

“Wonderful.” Arcee sighed.

“For the love of Primus, we don’t have time for this!” Sparkplug growled. “Just let us go, we don’t mean you any harm. But there are others like us who’ll destroy this city without remorse, much less show mercy to you!”

“Temper little one.” She warned, but Sparkplug wasn’t having it.

“I don’t care anymore!” Sparkplug marched forward towards the archway. “I’ve come too far to lose-gah!”

When he tried to walk through the archway, Sparkplug was strongly knocked back by an invisible force field that sent him crashing on his back.

Orphia chuckled. “I told you to mind you temper.”

Optimus knelt down over Sparkplug. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Sparkplug grumbled. “Just a wounded pride, is all.”

“Well, since forcing through way through is out of the question, how do we get in?” Arcee asked.

“By passing my trials,” Orphia answered. “Those not authorized by the royal family must pass a trial in order to enter these temple grounds. Trying to force the issue will only end in your immediate demise.”

“Um, Optimus, a moment please?” Wheeljack asked. He motioned for the other Autobots to gather around him. “Are we really going to go through with this? I’m not really eager to play Gladiator for a creepy robot with a sick sense of humor.”

“We don’t have a choice,” Arcee said. “You saw how that barrier pushed Sparkplug back. I doubt we can have better luck with that without starting a fight.”

“Not to mention we’re pressed for time.” Jazz pointed out.

“We must follow her rules if we are to get that panel before the Decepticons arrive. The golem will hold them back for a while, and the maze will take time to traverse, but we don’t have a lot of time on our hands.” Optimus said. “This isn’t the ideal place for a battle.”

“Then we know what to do.” Sparkplug said.

The Autobots turned back to the sphinx and stated that they will take her trials. Orphia’s red lips turned up in a cat-like grin that made her amber eyes shine dangerously.

“Wonderful, I knew you would see things my way.” She said, then started to explain the process. “Each of you will be presented with a test relevant to your strengths. They are made to test the limits of your mind and body. Pass, and you get to enter the temple, fail and you can go back the way you came. Now, who will go first?”

The Autobots were silent before Wheeljack gave an exaggerated sigh and stepped forward. “I guess I’m going first. Let’s get this over with.”

He walked past the sphinx and through the archway. The minute he stepped into the courtyard, a purple barrier covered the entire compound, sealing the entrance behind him as well. Wheeljack was on his own.

“Okay, what do you have for me cat lady?” He asked, taking a deep breath to ready himself.

“Your trial will be one of knowledge.” Orphia said. “You seem like a smart one, so this shouldn’t be too hard for you.”

Wheeljack glanced at his team before turning back to her and nodding.

“Your task is simple, answer this question and I will let you pass.” Orphia gave her question. “Across this city are temples dedicated to the god of the seas, Poseidon. Since you’ve most likely gotten a good view of the city from across the bridge, how many temples are there in all?”

Wheeljack crossed his arms and thought hard. The temples she was talking about must have been the tall buildings with blue roofs and statues bordering them. He got a good look at them when he was gawking at the city with the rest of the team. They weren’t hard to miss.

“There are…four temples, one at each corner of the city.” Wheeljack said.

“Is that your final answer?” Orphia asked.

Wheeljack was silent for a minute before shaking his head. “No, this is a test of knowledge, not memory.”

Orphia smiled.

“There is a fifth temple…the one in Pythia, near the cliffside.” Wheeljack nodded. “Yeah, I remember seeing those strange statues near the temple that I thought was built for the Oracle. I saw it while scouting for that energy signature with Prowl and Bee.”

“You…pass. Well done, Autobot. I knew you were a smart one.” Orphia said. A tap of her paw and the barrier lowered itself to allow Wheeljack all the way through into the courtyard. “Now who’s up next?”

“That’ll be me.” Jazz said, strolling forward. “I’ll be sure to keep the mike warm for ya, boss bot.”

Orphia smiled. “Step forward to receive your trial.”

XXXXXX

Your trial will be one of intelligence,” Orphia explained to Jazz. “All you have to do is answer my question and should you answer correctly, I will let you pass.”

Jazz looked at her suspiciously. “I’m guessing that it’s not gonna be the four in the morning, two at noon and three in the evening riddle, is it?”

“Please sweetheart, that fell out of style three hundred years ago.” Orphia said dryly. “Now here’s your question: Your village is holding a competition in which everyone is allowed to participate. One of the villagers is taller than the others, giving him an advantage over them. What will you do? Exclude the person in the name of fairness or allow him to take part regardless?”

That was certainly a tricky question. There were only two ways he could go about this really; he could exclude the person so the competition could be fair to all, especially if the person had an unfair advantage going for him. But, it wouldn’t be fair to the man to be kicked out for something that was out of his control. It was a two-option question, but Jazz could see the hidden implications between the lines. The real question was whether he was willing to segregate a person based on their differences for the good of all accept their differences as part of who they are, regardless of the outcome?

“What is your answer?” Orphia asked.

Jazz took a moment to reply, but when he did, his voice was confident and sure. “I’ll keep the person included in the games.”

“Oh?” Orphia cocked an eyebrow. “That is the choice you’ve picked?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “The dude may have an unfair advantage when it comes to the games, but to exclude him for something that was out of his power to control would be even more unfair. Making judgment on a person just for their differences is not how a leader is supposed to govern his people.”

Orphia smiled. “That is correct. One must act based on the actions of another, not their appearance or physical attributes. Equality, no matter how difficult, is the path of least resistance. You may pass.”

The barrier lifted and Jazz entered the courtyard. He jogged over to Wheeljack and gave him a high five.

“So two of us got was might be the two easiest tests here.” Jazz said. “Who do you think will get the life threatening one?”

“Prime,” Wheeljack answered immediately. “I say it’s Prime.”

“Same here.” Jazz agreed. “That Matrix makes him a danger magnet.”

XXXXXX

“Who is next?”

Optimus looked at Arcee, who took a step back. “You go first, Optimus.”

He nodded and picked up Sparkplug, placing him on his shoulder as he stopped under the archway. “What is my trial, Orphia?”

“Strength,” She smirked. “You will fight against three enemies, golems who guard this temple from unruly intruders who don’t take no for an answer. I’m sure you get how this goes by now, so I won’t repeat myself. Win and you pass, lose and you die. By their blades…or my claws.”

Orphia smiled when Optimus narrowed his eyes at her. “So you aren’t easily intimidated. Good, then this trial is perfect for you. Step forward.”

Optimus entered the courtyard and the entrance was sealed behind him. He barely took a step forward before a four pillars rose from the ground and together they released a violet energy barrier that was shaped like a dome. The dome itself was nearly half a mile long, enough room for Optimus to fight whatever Orphia had in mind for him. Then the ground before Optimus began to split open, and a large platform started to rise up from an underground chamber. Sparkplug powerlinked with Optimus and Prime took out his Ion cannon.

Standing on the platform were three silver knights, each one holding a different weapon-a broadsword, a spear and a scythe. They were all at least a head taller than Optimus, constructed to look like humans in silver armor, but they had blue lines running along their armor from their chests to their arms. Knight #1 raised its sword at Optimus in a silent challenge. Then it rushed forward, closing the distance between them in a few long strides before slashing at the Autobot leader.

Optimus ducked under the sword, feeling the blade swing so close to his body that he felt the wind rush over his back, and retaliated with a shot from his ion cannon. The blast hit it in the shoulder but before he could press his attack, Optimus was forced to dodge a spear thrust down on him from above. He rolled away so that the sharp spear tip hit the ground, but took a kick from its wielder, Knight #2. He hit the ground hard, but still fired his cannon, holding Knight #2 back as Knight #1 rushed at him again and attacked with a barrage of quick and strong strikes from its sword. Optimus deployed his battle blade and deflected a downward strike from the golem before shooting its leg, forcing it to one knee.

Then, acting on his battle instinct, Optimus jumped to the side as a scythe blade hit the spot he was just in. Knight #3 spun its long reaching weapon around its body before lashing out at the Autobot with a series of quick and deadly strikes that kept Optimus on the defensive. He heard heavy footsteps coming from behind him and when Knight #3 came at him with a horizontal strike, Optimus bent down low just as Knight #2 rushed at him from behind. The blade swung over his head and stabbed into Knight #2’s side, digging into its armor and inner mechanisms. Optimus used this chance to jump up fire his ion cannon at Knight #3’s heat, the ion blasts tearing the knight’s head apart in seconds. The body stumbled back before falling to the ground, a molten pile of slag where its head used to be.

Optimus was hit from the side by a punch from Knight #1, sending him crashing through the ground before hitting the side of the barrier, his ion cannon falling not too far from him. Knight #2 pulled the scythe out of its abdomen and threw it at Prime, who just barely rolled out of the way. Optimus deflected the mighty swing from the spear Knight #2 threw at him and when it tried to impale him he leapt to the side. He climbed onto its pole arm and flipped himself up to punch it in the face.

As it fell to the ground, Knight #1 slashed at Optimus, but he ducked under its swing, and grabbed onto the blade in a single movement. Optimus used the momentum of the swing to fling himself into the air and towards the knight’s head. With a yell, he stabbed his battle blade into the golem’s head, the red hot blade easily cutting into the ancient internal components like it was butter. But Optimus had no time to see the knight fall as he was forced to flip over a spear that was thrown at him from behind. He winced at he felt the blade lightly scratch his back as it rushed under him. He hit the ground hard and saw Knight #2 charge at him and threw a punch down at him.

The Autobot stepped back just enough for the large metal fist to pass by his chest within a hair’s breadth and slashed his blade down on its elbow, severing the arm at the joint. The knight caught him with a palm strike that slammed him into the ground and he skidded along the stony tiles, sending sparks flying as he rolled to a stop. He looked up and saw his ion cannon lying a foot away from him and he crawled over to it as the knight retrieved its spear and lunged at him.

“Fall!” Optimus pulled the trigger and released an ion blast that hit the knight right in the head, forcing its upper body back. He kept on firing, not stopping until he saw that the knight’s head and shoulders were completely blown off in a smoking mess of heated metal. It fell to its knees and collapsed on its side.

Orphia gave an impressed whistle as Optimus sagged in relief and fell onto his back in exhaustion.

“Now I see why you’re the leader.” She smiled. “You’ve passed your test. Please, enter.”

The energy field around Optimus faded away and he pushed himself to his feet to drag himself over to his friends. Jazz and Wheeljack ran over to their leader.

“You solid, boss bot?” Jazz asked.

“I’m fine. Fighting three opponents at once isn’t as easy as it used to be.” Optimus sighed. Sparkplug disengaged and took on robot mode with a frown.

“This is taking too long.” He complained. “We should just get the panel now and leave while we still have the lead.”

“And risk pissing off the cat lady? No way, Sparky, I’m not taking chances if she’s running this slag show.” Jazz shook his head. If she could summon three golems, then how much control did she have over this city?

“Besides, only Arcee’s left.” Wheeljack pointed out. “Let’s give her a chance.”

XXXXXX

“And so the last Autobot stands before me.” Orphia looked up at Arcee. “Are you ready for your test?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Arcee said.

Orphia nodded. “Good, because your trial will be the trial of courage.”

“Courage?” Arcee made an uneasy expression that Orphia caught.

“What’s wrong?” The sentient golem asked. “You look uneasy.”

“Maybe that’s because I’m not courageous.” Arcee said. “I’m a mess of a femme who’s made so many mistakes in the past it’s hard to even keep count. I watched my sister get killed by my former lover and spent a good part of my people’s war trying to kill myself in suicide missions out of despair. Even after Jazz helped me cope, I still tried to run away from my past; from the nightmares I’d have, trying to bury it under all these emotional walls. Only to have it come back to haunt me again on this world and threaten the people I love. Darren says I’m strong, but I’m not. I’m just good at hiding my scars when people are looking my way.”

Optimus, Wheeljack and Sparkplug looked at her solemnly, while Jazz had an unreadable expression on his face. They knew Arcee’s life was among the most tragic when it concerned the war, and spent a long time recovering from the emotional scars that nearly pushed her over the edge. Optimus wasn’t surprised her pain went deep, but Wheeljack and Sparkplug were shocked that such a sweet and kind femme had gone through utter hell. Despite being taken in by Jazz and Yoketron, Arcee still tried to forget her pain rather than face it head on. It wasn’t until her demons came to Terra and threatened Darren and High Wire that she finally faced her horrors and came out a better person for it. But the road to recovery is forever a long one.

Orphia stared at Arcee for what felt like an eternity, then smiled and nodded. “You pass.”

Arcee did a double take. “Excuse me?”

“You pass,” Orphia said again. “Being courageous has nothing to do with being fearless or having a spotless past. To admit your faults, even the ones that you’re most ashamed of, is showing true courage. Thus, you have passed your trial young Autobot.”

Orphia lifted the barrier and Arcee walked into the courtyard to meet with the others. Jazz welcomed her with open arms and patted her on the shoulder.

“You did good, Cee.” He told her.

“I suppose,” She sighed. “I didn’t mean to say all that. It just…all came out at once.”

“We know, Arcee,” Optimus said. “We all have things from the past that we want to forget. But sooner or later, we will be forced to deal with them. It’s what makes us what we are.”

“Autobots,” Orphia called out. “You have passed all your trials. As such, you are deemed worthy of entering the temple grounds and may come and go as you wish with any of your friends.”

“It’s about time.” Wheeljack said. “Come on, let’s get the panel and leave this place before something else happens.”

As if queued by fate, the archway went up in flames as a chain of explosions rattled the temple grounds. Orphia jumped away as she saw the grounds she had guarded for centuries be attacked so blatantly. She snarled at the offenders.

“Who dares attack sacred grounds?!” She roared, her visage becoming bestial and savage.

It was the Decepticons, damaged from their fight with the leviathan but still operational and ready to fight, emerging from the flames with their weapons charged and ready.

“I see you four finally got past the giant lobster.” Arcee said. “Took you guys long enough.”

“Shut your mouth.” Nightshade hissed, totally not in the mood. Powerlinked with Songbird, she pointed her electrostatic cannon at Prime’s chest. “You fools thought you could leave here without a fight, but you forgot that we have a teleporter on our side.”

“A half-baked outlier is nothing to brag about, you stupid turkey.” Jazz said.

‘He dies first.’ Nightshade thought. “Seekers, attack!”

The Cons opened fire on the Autobots, who made to return fire, but were interrupted by the loud metallic roar of Orphia, who lunged at Skywarp. She pounced on his chest, digging her claws into his chest plate and biting and tearing at his shoulders and head. Not expecting this attack, Skywarp flailed around, trying to get her off before she literally tore him limb from limb. His team paid him no attention as they advanced on the Autobot, planning to storm the temple. Optimus stopped the Autobots from meeting their charge and glared at the Cons.

“You are no friends of ours.” He said.

The barrier appeared over the temple grounds, stopping the Cons from advancing. Nightshade stopped just in time, but Starscream ran headfirst into the barrier and was strongly repelled, sending him crashing into a stone column.

“What is this?” Nightshade looked up at the large barrier that formed over the entire temple. Seeing that Skywarp was still fighting off Orphia with Thundercracker’s help, and making little progress, she shook her head and aimed Gandiva. “Time to improvise.”

She pelted the barrier with her powerful arrows, but none of them broke through the barrier. Each arrow, harboring enough power to almost rival Megatron’s fusion cannon, hit the energy field and exploded on contact with a resounding boom akin to a thunderclap. Optimus saw that the smoke from the explosions started to cover Nightshade’s view and formulated a plan.

“On my mark Autobots, get ready to rush them all at once.” He said. When he lost sight of Nightshade he willed the barrier to fade as he transformed to his truck mode. “Now!”

Right after Nightshade finished shooting another arrow, the barrier faded away and she heard the blaring horn of a truck. Optimus burst out of the smoke cloud at full speed in his truck mode and slammed into her, knocking the bow from her hands and barreled past Thundercracker and Skywarp. He kept driving until they both flew off the edge of the staircase and tumbled down all the way to the bottom. Upon reaching the bottom, Nightshade flipped to her feet, but leaned back to avoid Prime’s axe as it sailed past her face. Nightshade leapt back and drew her swords before leaping at Optimus, blocking another strike from his axe.

Back at the top, the Autobots and Seekers were engaged in a fierce battle. Skywarp, severely wounded by Orphia, was trying his best to avoid being mauled by the feline golem again, but wasn’t able to do much with Wheeljack shooting at him with a high powered photon rifle of all things.

Jazz and Arcee took on Starscream and Thundercracker respectively, though they often switched opponents frequently, screwing with one Con before changing partners and doing the same thing to the other. The Seekers tried to trade blows with the pair, but Starscream was losing his patient, as they were getting on his nerves with their constant dancing.

“Would you two take this fight seriously!” Starscream growled. Jazz flipped behind him and smacked the back of his head before jumped away to avoid getting cut by Starscream’s bayonet.

“We are taking it seriously.” Jazz grinned, blocking Starscream’s next strike with his laser staff. “We’re just not taking you seriously.”

“Oh? Then let’s see if you’ll take me seriously now!” Starscream leapt up and fired up his boosters, directing them at Jazz’s face. White hot flames shot out of the nozzles on Starscream’s feet and nearly incinerated Jazz’s face had he not been quick enough to jump back, though his armor was a little blackened.

Starscream flew back and converted his arm into his null ray, but did not point it at Jazz…instead he pointed it at Arcee! Jazz cursed and ran for Arcee.

“Arcee, look out!” He called out.

Arcee didn’t know what happened, all she managed to see was a purple beam heading her way and hearing Jazz’s shout before she was pushed away. She saw the beam hit Jazz in the arm and send him sprawling to the ground. Arcee had no time to process his actions as she quickly picked him up and pulled him away from Thundercracker’s artillery fire. Starscream grinned and joined Thundercracker in the assault. He wanted revenge for that last mission those bastards humiliated him on.

Jazz had lost the feeling in the arm where he was hit, but he could still fight. With some effort, he snagged one of Arcee’s swords and threw it at Starscream, stabbing the mech right through his forearm that was his null cannon. Arcee drew her blaster and fired a couple of shots at Thundercracker before grabbing her other sword and charging at him, slashing away.

“Skywarp, stop fooling around and get over here!” Starscream yelled.

Skywarp, who was still fighting off Orphia and Wheeljack, heeded his commander’s call and began to teleport. Acting quickly, Wheeljack leapt forward and grabbed Skywarp’s wing just as he vanished. This was one exploitable setback to Skywarp’s power- he could teleport himself and others along with him so long as he was in physical contact with them. The problem was that anyone could be teleported along with him, no matter who it was. And that included an enemy who was fast enough to grab onto him just before teleporting.

The outlier materialized beside Starscream with his unintended guest and Wheeljack quickly took advantage of this to land an improvised surprise attack. Before either Con could realize the dupe, Wheeljack slammed his knee into the back of Skywarp’s head and jumped off his shoulders to shoot his rifle into Starscream’s chest before landing on his feet. Skywarp shot at him, but Wheeljack was close enough to duck under his cannons and punch the Seeker in the face. But as he fought Skywarp, he didn’t notice Starscream making his way towards Gandiva.

Back at the foot of the stairs, Optimus and Nightshade continued their dance of death. Covered in cuts and dents, neither bot was willing to give in. Nightshade, despite being stuck in a stalemate with Prime, had to marvel how a mech Optimus’ size could wield an axe with such speed. She attacked him with fast sword strikes, but he deflected them with his own attacks, turning his sole defense into a retaliatory offense that left her with a few singed pieces of armor and a deep gash on her left side. Her hands were starting to hurt from having her sword block a strike from his axe.

Knowing that she wasn’t going to achieve much like this, she deflected a slash from Prime and kicked off the ground to propel herself back. She fired her cannon at him before changing to beast mode and flying back to the temple. Optimus leapt up and grabbed her wings to hold her in place, despite having his face and upper chest bathed in the white hot flames of her thrusters.

“Let go of me!” Nightshade growled.

“You’re not going anywhere!” Optimus grunted, digging his feet into the ground.

Nightshade tried to shake him off, but Prime was putting all of his strength in not letting her budge an inch. Unable to break free, she contacted Skywarp. “Skywarp, I’m in need of an assist!”

Skywarp spat out a glob of energon as he heard Nightshade’s call for help. Seeing Wheeljack lash his energo-whip at him, he rolled to his feet and teleported away before the whip could cause him more damage. He reappeared right next to Optimus and fired his laser cannons at Prime’s back to make him let go.

“That’s no way to treat a lady!” Skywarp cackled as he unleashed a barrage of laser fire on the Autobot leader.

Already seriously wounded from Nightshade’s exhaust flames, Optimus was forced to let her go in order to defend himself. Nightshade flew over to Skywarp, who touched her talons and began to warp away. Not done with them yet, Optimus ran at them and leapt forward, touching a finger to Nightshade’s wing and was teleported along with them.

XXXXXX

“No you don’t Starscream!”

Arcee jumped at Starscream and grabbed at Gandiva, trying to wrnech it from his hands. Starscream sneered at her and tried to pull it away from her, but Arcee kept a tight grip on the shaft of the bow. The two grappled with the weapon for a bit, neither giving in, though they failed to notice the crystals on the bow start to glow near Arcee’s hands save for Orphia. Realizing what this meant, and seeing that the bow was something much special that she thought, Orphia leapt onto Starscream’s back and started biting and clawing at him. Starscream yelped in pain and tried to get her off, losing his grip on Gandiva.

Just then, Skywarp and Nightshade reappeared with Optimus, who punched Skywarp in the chest and knocked him down. As for Nightshade, she spotted her powerful bow glowing in Arcee’s hands and snarled, rushing to get it back. Arcee saw the angry Con charging at her and jumped back, aiming the bow and pulling the string back to generate an energy arrow. Nightshade’s eyes widened as she realized that Arcee was able to use the bow and that she was in a very bad position to be in. At this range, trying to escape Gandiva’s arrow would be no better than trying to dodge lightning. Arcee let the string go and the arrow flew, releasing a deafening boom that engulfed the entire courtyard, followed by a huge explosion.

“Incredible.” Orphia gasped. They had such a weapon in their possession? She thought only her creators had such a weapon at their disposal.

When Nightshade’s senses returned to her, she realized that she was still alive, though her audio sensors were ringing. There was a weight on top of her and when she pushed it off, she saw it was Thundercracker’s body, which was missing a large part of his lower torso and his legs were hanging to his upper body by just a few cables. Thundercracker jumped in front of her just before the arrow could hit her. Nightshade looked up and saw that Arcee had dropped Gandiva in shock, not used to using such a powerful weapon.

Acting quickly, Nightshade ran forward and snatched up Gandiva, returning to Thundercracker’s side. Looking around, she saw that Starscream was seriously wounded from Orphia’s assault, and Skywarp was struggling against Jazz and Wheeljack. She scowled and cursed furiously, knowing that this battle was lost. But she wasn’t leaving until she got revenge for Thundercracker!

She pointed Gandiva at Arcee, but before she could pull the string, she felt the barrel of a large gun press against the back of her head. “Don’t, Nightshade.” Optimus said calmly. “You’ve lost this battle. Retreat while only one of your soldiers is injured.”

“You think I’ll run from you Autobots?” Nightshade said. “I can still fight.”

“One of your soldiers is critically injured, the other two also seriously wounded.” He said, looking at the damaged Seekers. “You’re smarter than this, Nightshade. You know when a battle is won or lost.”

He was right, she did know the difference, and it was absolutely humiliating. Fighting the leviathan had worn her team down and made fighting the Autobots harder than it needed to be. She was also the only one who didn’t look like she was mauled by a pneuma-lion. Hissing angrily, she lowered her bow and dragged Thundercracker over to Skywarp.

“Skywarp, take us out of here.” Nightshade ordered drearily. “We’re retreating.”

“What? Are you insane?!” Starscream hollered. “We can’t run now! The Minicon is right there!”

He was promptly silenced by a punch from Nightshade that was so strong that the optic lens over his left eye shattered. He fell to the ground and yelped when Nightshade drew Gandiva on him.

“I am your superior officer, Starscream, and I won’t have your fragging insubordination this time. You will follow my orders to the letter or you won’t live long enough to see this planet burn! We are retreating. RIGHT. NOW!”

She didn’t wait for Starscream’s reply as she pushed him towards Skywarp and touched the outlier’s shoulder as he began to glow. Nightshade gave the Autobots one last baleful glare before she, and the Seekers, disappeared in a bright flash of purple light. They were now gone from the temple and the Autobots were alone.

For a moment no one said anything as they recovered from the intense fighting that just went on. Then Orphia let out a purr and said, “That was certainly the most fun I had in a century. Can we do that again?”

XXXXXX

The temple of Poseidon, as Orphia had named it, looked more like a place of worship than a treasury. It was a large dome that had ancient, but extravagant relics sitting on pedestals in every corner of the temple. Each relic was made of gold or silver, and had tiny jewels like sapphires and diamonds encrusted into them. They all had to be thousands of years old but looked no more worn that a week after they were made. The walls sported murals of the same warriors that Optimus had saw out in the city, and like before, he noticed that they had blue skin and fish-like attributes not common in humans.

‘I wonder how Gina will react to all this.’ Optimus thought. He made sure to have Sparkplug take pictures of everything to show her later. She’d love it all.

However, they were here for one thing, and it was sitting right before them. the stasis panel sat at the far end of the temple, resting on a soft red pillow and decorated in jewels like the other relics.

“Nice of these people to fancy up the panel for us.” Arcee said as she picked it up and handed it to Sparkplug.

“It’s going to be a pain to get this out.” Sparkplug groaned.

Optimus knelt down before Orphia and gave his thanks to her. “Thank you for allowing us entry. And I am sorry for the destruction we’ve caused during our battle.”

“Think nothing of it. It’s been a while since something this interesting happened.” Orphia said. “Besides, I’ve only got a few more months before I’ve got to move on.”

“Move on?” Optimus inquired.

Yes, I am leaving this wonderful city and taking these relics back to my masters’ home. Something came up a few weeks ago and it’s got them spooked for some reason.” Orphia shrugged. “I don’t know. Prophets are strange like that.”

Optimus knew that he was going to open another can of worms here with this next question, but he couldn’t help himself. “What is your home exactly, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I don’t mind at all, but I can’t say much. Confidentiality and all that.” Orphia said. “Besides, I’m sure you’ve already heard of it. After all, who hasn’t heard of Atlantis?”

 


	32. The Golden Asp

Chapter 31-The Golden Asp

Penny Pincer held back a yawn as she scrolled down the long internet page on her laptop. It was a slow day for her, with school being closed for a two-day holiday and the weather was getting a bit too chilly to stay out for too long. Most of the Autobots were out on recon for energon, which she learned was their main fuel source, which they were slowly running out of. According to Gina, Cybertronians could survive for long amounts of time without energon, but eventually, it came down to how much energy they used before they needed to refuel.

The Autobots’ recent battles were draining their energon stocks faster than they would’ve liked and finding most was top priority. Searching for new deposits that weren’t occupied by the Decepticons was getting a bit hard too. Penny thought it was a bit disconcerting to see these big, powerful robots desperately looking for their equivalent for food and water. It certainly made them seem more vulnerable.

Penny wished she could help them, but she had no idea how. She was just a regular, if not extremely intelligent, girl with no fancy powers or giant robot to fly around in. All she could do was sit at her desk and help search for signs of stasis panels on the internet. She thought it was useless to do what an alien supercomputer could do on its own, but it passed the time. She wasn’t getting anywhere near Gina stupid “weapons development” program she was working on.

“Penny?” Gina called out to her, walking into the room with Sara in tow. “What are you doing here?”

“Research,” Penny replied, not taking her eyes off the screen. “I’m trying to find those stasis panels of yours on the web. Figured Teletran-1 could use some help or something.”

Penny felt a bit silly trying this method of searching, but it made sense. Gina had told her that many of the Minicon panels were often treated as sacred objects seen by ancient man as gifts from the gods. The internet was their best source of information, and they had to inspect every piece of ancient paintings, carvings, scriptures, and tombs that looked like they had a connection to the Minicons. It was mostly by chance they made connections in the past, but it gave the Autobots somewhat of an advantage on the Cons instead of waiting for the panel to release its retrieval signal.

“Um, Penny, you know Teletran can do this-“

“I’m well aware it can do this by itself, Gina, but I’m bored!” Penny slammed her head onto the table and groaned.

“Perhaps it’s best to take a break and recharge your systems.” Sara suggested. “Prolonged physical activity is detrimental to your health. Ms. Gina suffers similar afflictions as you do, Penelope.”

Gina looked at Sara confused. “How so?”

“Penny has high blood pressure and an increased heart rate,” Sara explained. “The same thing happens to you whenever Darren Radcliffe gets close to your or initiates physical conta-“

“Okay! That’s enough, Sara!” Gina said loudly, clapping a hand over Sara’s mouth.

Penny gave her rival a smirk. “Increased heart rate, huh?”

“Not a word.” Gina growled.

“I’m in the same boat as you, sister. I ain’t tellin’ anyone about another girl’s prey.” Penny grinned and zipped her lips closed.

The moment was cut short when Penny’s laptop started beeping. Gina leaned over Penny’s shoulder as she read the data on the screen and her expression turned serious.

“Congratulations, Penny, you just found your first Minicon on the first day of the job.” Gina said and roughly patted her rival’s back. “Now you get to see the fireworks begin.”

XXXXXX

At the same time, onboard the Nemesis as it traveled far above the continent of Usea, Soundwave also detected a Minicon panel at the communications station in the bridge. Megatron called Nightshade to the bridge to inform her of this new development.

“Soundwave detected a panel already?” She said. “But the computer didn’t give out any alerts.”

“We didn’t detect the panel itself, only a possible clue to its whereabouts.” Megatron pointed to the monitor, which showed a lavish mural depicting a king kneeling before a queen holding out a small pentagonal object as an offering. “The Autobots have gotten the jump on us multiple times in the past by investigating this planet’s ancient history, something I’ve admittedly brushed aside in the past. But this method is looking to be highly profitable for us.”

Nightshade nodded. “Tell me where to go and I will assemble a team at once.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Nightshade.” Megatron said sharply. “I’m far from pleased with your performance on the last few missions. It’s starting to get embarrassing that my own second in command can’t even snuff out a few Autobots when they’re already weakened.”

Nightshade bristled. “Megatron, what happened in that city was not my-“

Megatron held up a hand, silencing her. “If I want anything done right, then I’ll have to do it myself. I will lead this mission, and you will act as support with Blackout and Barricade.”

“As you wish, Megatron.” She scowled. She knew he was getting sick of her recent failures, so this was to be expected, but it still stung to be sidelined like Starscream.

“Good,” Megatron turned to Soundwave. “Soundwave, set a ground bridge coordinates for Anea. It’s time to see what the humans call their cradle of civilization.”

XXXXXX

The continent of Anea was known for many things, mainly its abundance of animal life and harboring prehistoric humans back before the supercontinent Pangaea split apart billions of years ago. Much of the continent was dominated by a vast desert known as the Sahara, and the southern regions were covered in either wide plains or dense jungles. Despite the year round scorching weather, people and animals still populated this ancient land in great numbers, descendants of those who also called Anea home.

An Autobot team consisting of Optimus, Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Ironhide ground bridged to Anea on a mission literally formed just a few minutes ago. Their lead on the Minicon panel led them to the Anean continent of Aithiops, going on nothing more than a mural that showed the panel in the hands of an Aithiopian king. For retrieval of the panel, Kevin and Penny came along, with the latter acting as the team’s historical consultant and acting cover. The girl was excited to be on her first mission since meeting the Autobots. But her hype quickly died down when she realized that they had no solid leads to go on and had to resort to going around the countryside gathering information; aka, talking to the locals who were experts on local superstitions and legends.

“I told myself I’d never go back to a desert again, especially after Azadistan.” Ironhide grunted. “And like a moron, I jump at the first chance to go to another sandbox like this one.”

“Oh relax, Hide, it’s not that bad.” Razor said. “At least it’s not someplace cold like the arctic or something. Right, Undertone?”

Sitting next to Razor was the only other Minicon who accompanied her on the mission, Undertone. He was a white mech with two wheels on his shoulders and a slender chest with two swords mounted on his back. Undertone wasn’t much of a talker, he rarely interacted with the other Minicons since he arrived at the Ark and barely gave the Autobots the time of day, but Razor was happy she managed to convince him to come along.

“So you guys excited for what we’re going to find on this mission?” Penny asked. “I’m sure Terra’s a completely alien world to you, Undertone. Don’t you feel a least a little bit overwhelmed?”

Undertone said nothing, but he shook his head in response to her question. Penny pouted at him and Kevin smiled.

“You ain’t going to get a peep from him, Penny. The guy’s a real ninja.” Kevin said.

“I’m not going to give up.” Penny said stubbornly and crossed her arms. She’d appreciate a decent conversation from the Minicon. It’d make her feel better.

After minutes of driving along the dirt road miles away from civilization, the Autobots came upon a small village. Kevin and Penny got out and started asking questions about their prize. Optimus, via his holomatter, went with them to keep them safe. Some locals weren’t very friendly to foreigners. Asking for directions wasn’t the most efficient way of completing a mission, but it was better than driving around in the Savanna aimlessly. After a few minutes, the kids were back and hopped back into Optimus’ plush leather seats.

“That was fast.” Bumblebee said. “Did you guys get some info?”

“I’m assuming Penny did, because I barely got a word out before she snatched me up and dragged me along like a poodle.” Kevin said, glaring at Penny.

“Sorry, but I just got a juicy lead on where we need to go.” She said and took out a map. “First off, the panel was in the possession of King Solomon, the man holding it in the mural. Solomon was a king from the Middle East, and had traveled to a region called Axum with the panel as a gift to the queen of Sheba.”

“And the panel is somewhere in Axum?” Razor asked.

“Most likely,” Penny nodded. “Sheba ruled over the kingdom there and she was buried somewhere in the wilderness in a secret tomb that only a few people know the existence of.”

“Nice work, kids.” Bumblebee said.

“But we still don’t know where the hell the panel is, and now we have to go hunting for a graveyard? Wonderful,” Ironhide grunted. He really was not looking forward to driving around in sandstorms.

“I have an idea where we can look first.” Penny pointed at something on the map, which showed a small snake-shaped landmass in the Axum region. “We should go here.”

“Why? What’s so special about that place?” Bulkhead asked.

“It’s where Sheba had stored her treasures, and that includes the panel.” She answered.

“It’s a bit of a stretch, but it’s something to go on.” Ironhide sighed. “What’s the play Prime?”

“This is worth investigating,” Optimus said and started his engines. “Let’s go Autobots. We’re losing daylight.”

The Autobots started to drive away, carefully weaving through the village as they traveled back into the wilderness. But they were being watched. The red and black form of Laserbeak sat in a tree amidst the branches and leaves, his red eyes watching his enemies drive away. Once they were far enough out of earshot, he called it in.

“This is Laserbeak,” He said with a caw. “I have a visual on the Autobots.”

“ _Follow them”_ Soundwave ordered. “ _Transmit your position. We will be there shortly.”_

XXXXXX

A few miles away from the village, the Autobots were given a firsthand experience of one of Anea’s hazardous weather conditions. As they approached a valley north of their position, the Autobots ran into a fierce sandstorm that took them by surprise. Optimus kept his windows shut so no sand got inside and hit the kids, but it didn’t help the rest of the team with their visibility.

“I can’t see a damn thing!” Ironhide grumbled. “Where the hell did this sandstorm come from?”

“They’re a fact of live in Anea. They come out of nowhere and hit you like a wrecking ball. For someone walking on foot, sandstorms mean certain death if you don’t know where you’re going.” Penny said.

“How long do these storms last?” Arcee asked.

“Sometimes a day, sometimes a week. Depends on how lucky you are.” She answered.

Tracer looked through the window and peered through the thick cloud of sand blowing against Ironhide’s windshield. “Guys, I think I see something up ahead.” Tracer said.

It was hard to see through the sandstorm, but the Autobots were still able to barely make out the large forms of two Decepticons, one large and one small. As they got closer, they saw it was Blackout and Barricade, their weapons pointed right at them. Powerlinked with Cannon, Blackout raised his arm and fired a sonic wave directly at the Autobots.

“Evade!” Optimus exclaimed.

The Autobots separated as the sonic attack reverberated through the air. Barricade grinned at seeing his enemies “dance” for him and hefted a large tripled barreled scatter blaster onto his shoulder, unloading a large burst of plasma fire at them.

“What are they doing here?” Penny asked, trying not to get thrown out of her seat by Prime’s driving.

“Who knows, who cares,” Bulkhead growled as another sonic attack flew past him. “Let’s just beat these guys down!”

“We can’t, Bulkhead, not in these conditions.” Optimus said.

He knew that these two were most likely decoys to slow them down, which meant that there were more Cons also on their trail. Optimus didn’t know how they knew where to go, but all that mattered now was beating them to the panel. Optimus swerved through the shifting sand and floored it, increasing his speed and pushing the children into their seats as he drove straight at Blackout and Barricade.

“He’s not stopping.” Blackout pointed out.

“Then make him stop!” Barricade fired his scatter blaster, but even for him it was hard to see Prime through the sand.

Blackout prepared to take Prime out with his thunderclap cannon, but something white flashed before his vision and landed on his shoulder. It was the Minicon Undertone. Appearing out of nowhere, he ran along Blackout’s body, slashing at his armor with his swords. Blackout tried to smack him away, but Undertone jumped off his shoulder and onto his arm, stabbing in between his armor panels. Sparks spewed from Blackout’s arm as Undertone severed some circuits and wasn’t quick enough to keep Undertone was forcefully cutting Cannon from his connection port.

Kicking Cannon aside, Undertone ran up to Blackout’s face and slashed at his eyes, blinding him. Hearing his partner’s enraged cry, Barricade turned to help Blackout, but heard a loud truck horn right behind him. All Barricade saw was his reflection in Prime’s stainless steel grill as he rammed into him with tremendous force, smacking him away. The other Autobots followed their leader into the valley.

“Holy…that was amazing!” Kevin laughed.

“Undertone, get back here!” Tracer called out.

Undertone leapt off Blackout’s head and transformed into a larger, low rider motorcycle and sped after the Autobots, leaving behind a stunned and half blind Decepticon. Blackout held a hand to his damaged eye and called his other two comrades.

“Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, level the canyon!” He yelled.

Sitting atop the cliff on one side of the canyon, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw watched the fight below with amused looks before hopping off their perch to perform their part.

“Leave it to the big guys to screw it up.” Laserbeak cawed.

“Never trust a two leg to do a bird’s job!” Buzzsaw cackled.

Together they fired their dual laser cannons into the canyon walls, blasting apart large chunks of rock and started a landslide on both sides of the canyon. The Autobots increased their speed, swerving wildly to avoid the heavier rocks that crashed around them. Kevin and Penny were holding onto each other for dear life as things got even more chaotic.

As for Undertone, he was skillfully dodging and avoiding the large rocks that fell around him, shifting to robot mode and leaping onto the falling boulders to use as footholds to propel himself towards his comrades. Jumping and flipping in a style that would make Jazz jealous, Undertone leapt over to Bulkhead, slashing a boulder in two before it could hit the green Autobot and landed on his hood. He smoothly slid into the empty driver’s seat through an open window and sheathed his sword.

“Wow, Undertone, that was awesome!” Razor chirped. Undertone gave her a slight nod of thanks and she beamed.

As the valley was filled with rocks behind them, cutting the off from the Cons, the Autobots continued on their way, dirty but unharmed.

“Is everyone okay?” Bumblebee asked. “Kevin, Penny?”

“We’re fine,” Kevin said in a shaky voice. “I almost fainted back there, but were fine,”

“Good lord, Gina and the twins do this every day?” Penny breathed, trying to calm her fast beating heart.

“Not every day,” Bulkhead said. “Just enough times for you to question their sanity.”

“We need to put some distance between those goons and us.” Ironhide said. “Not that they’ll be bothering us anymore thanks to Undertone.”

“I told you bringing a ninja would help us in the end.” Razor said smugly.

Barricade pulled himself up and held his broken arm, limping towards the stone wall Laserbeak had made. It was supposed to slow the Autobots down, but now they were blocked off from the rest of their team. And Blackout was in no shape to be flying blind in this weather.

“Of course Prime and his pets gets pass us. What the hell was the point of this distraction?” Barricade raged. Blackout put a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ve done our job.” Blackout said, his damaged eye still sparking. “Megatron and the others are probably already at the tomb by now. The Autobots are too late to stop them.”

Barricade scowled, wanting nothing more than to give chase and snuff out those Autobots himself. But Megatron’s orders were very clear, and the mission came before anything else.

XXXXXX

The Autobots drove nonstop away from the hazardous canyon where they left their enemies buried and didn’t slow down until they reached the former territory that once belonged to the ancient kingdom of Axum. Deciding that they had put enough ground between them and their enemies, they pulled over and let the children and Minicons out to take a breather after that near death experience. Penny stumbled out of Prime’s cab and took a deep breath of fresh air to calm herself down. Somehow she had forgotten how chaotic a fight between those guys could get, despite being in the middle of an Autobot/Decepticon clash. Optimus transformed and knelt down next to her.

“Are you alright, Penny?” He asked softly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just forgot how…nuts it gets when you guys fight, that’s all.” She shook her head and composed herself. “Man, I can’t believe the others go through this on an almost weekly basis.”

“Your friends have gotten used to our…heated encounters with the Decepticons. Perhaps too used to it.” Optimus muttered. “Do you want me to bridge you back?”

“No!” Penny exclaimed and cleared her throat. “I mean…Gina didn’t wuss out when she started going out on missions with you guys, and neither will I. I’m just going to be a little more careful from now on.”

Optimus chuckled. “That’s a reasonable drive. Don’t worry, Penny, the Minicons will keep you safe.”

“Guys, is anyone else where wondering why the Cons are here?” Bulkhead asked, shaking sand from his armor panels. “How did they even know we’re here? There’s nothing to track.”

“Except us,” Bumblebee pointed out. “The Cons might’ve caught us in action and followed us to see what we were up to.”

“Or we’ve lost the advantage of using history to gain a head start on this Minicon hunt.” Optimus said, walking over to them. “The Decepticons most likely used the same tactic we’ve employed to find previous un-activated Minicons by using their connection to ancient human civilizations.”

“And them being here at the same time as us is just bad luck on our part, huh?” Kevin sighed. “Typical, what else could go wro-“

Razor rushed to slap her hand over his mouth. “Don’t say it. Bad things happen when you say it.”

“How long do you think we are from our destination?” Ironhide asked. “Because getting blindsided like that has me more fired up than Blurr at an asteroid racing circuit.”

“Not too long I hope.” Razor mumbled. Then she was hit in the head by a rock. “Hey! Who threw that?”

Optimus looked up the hill and saw Undertone standing at the top waving them over. “It seems Undertone did some recon for us.”

“Nice of him to tell us that” Bulkhead grumbled. “How did he get up there without us noticing?”

“Are you seriously asking that now after his performance back there?” Bumblebee smirked. His staunch silence aside, he was really starting to like Undertone.

The Autobots climbed up the rocky slope Undertone was leading them to and when they reached the top, they found what they were looking for-the tomb of the starcrossed lovers. These burial grounds were as mysterious as the legend of the forbidden romance between King Solomon and Queen Sheba. When they died, their bodies were buried together in a secret location with their combined treasures from their respective kingdoms. Seeing the tomb in person led to the question of how people didn’t find the place sooner.

The tomb lied underneath a massive 19 foot tall statue of a golden asp made of bronze and iron. The asp coiled in on itself, with a staircase running along the length of its body up to the door, which sat at the base of the snake’s throat. The Autobots and humans took the magnificent sight in as they approached the statue.

“These people must really love snakes.” Bulkhead whistled.

“Snakes were Axum’s sacred animal.” Penny said. “Kind of like how cats were worshipped in Egyptia.”

“And what about these freaky lookin’ hunks of metal?” Ironhide nodded his head at the three statures sitting in a semi-circle around the asp.

The statues that sat in front of the asp were massive, at least 35 feet tall. Each statue was drastically different than the last; the first one, Nyame, was the most human of all of them, modeled after a king with a powerful figure and an imposing face. The second one, Oshun, had a woman’s face, but her body was composed of rings of various sizes that made her look like some humanoid slinky. The third statue, Anansi, was the oddest of the three; he had a large arachnid’s body with two long, spindly arms that ended in clawed hands and a masked face that sported a wide, jigsaw grin. These statues were meant as wards to warn off intruders and thieves who thought they could waltz into this sacred place and steal from the dead.

“I think they’re statues of Anean gods worshipped by local tribes in South Anea.” Penny said, squinting up at the tall statues. “From what I remember…they’re Nyame, Oshun and Anansi.”

As they got closer to the asp, Optimus held up a fist, stopping his team. Without another word, he spun around and pointed his ion cannon at the rocky hills surrounding the tomb.

“Come out, Decepticons!” Optimus called out. “I know you’re there.”

After a minute of silence, a silver tank rolled out into the open from its hiding place and transformed into the towering form of Megatron, his silver and black armor gleaming in the bright sun. He grinned mockingly at the Autobots as he took sight of Optimus and his team.

“About time, Prime,” He said. “I was beginning to wonder when you were going to notice us.”

“You don’t seem surprised to see us here.” Optimus said. He glanced back at the humans and Minicons making their way to the entrance, which, he noticed, was sporting scorch marks clearly caused by blaster fire.

“It was a simple distraction, nothing else.” Megatron shrugged. “If you were held back by such a simple-minded plan, then my respect for you would’ve dropped considerably.”

“Glad we’ve made your day.” Ironhide stepped forward and raised his arm cannons. “Now come closer so we can kick your ass.”

“Why rush? It’ll take a while for our respective Minicons to retrieve the panel we both came here for, so let’s take our time and savor the rare experience of killing each other.” Megatron lifted his arm and brought out his sword. “Four million years of warfare and we barely fight like this anymore. I want to savor it as much as possible!”

“Stop playing games, Megatron and fight!” Optimus growled.

“Don’t you remember, Optimus? War is a game-a game I intend to win!” Megatron grinned and snapped his fingers.

A shadow fell over the Autobots and they split apart as Soundwave crashed to the ground, vibro-blade in hand. Standing up, he fired a few rockets from his shoulder-mounted rocket launcher at Bulkhead to keep him back while Bumblebee rushed him from the front. He fired his stingers and Soundwave raised his arms to block the bolts, ignoring the stinging pain in his arms. Bumblebee’s right arm shifted into his vibro-blade and he slashed at Soundwave’s chest, barely leaving a scratch before Soundwave kicked him in the chest. Bulkhead shot his blaster at Soundwave’s shoulder and staggered him before charging forward to attack him directly.

Megatron and Optimus fought without any more words shared. Optimus ducked under a slash from Megatron’s arm blade before drawing his energo-axe and spinning it in a wide arc towards Megatron’s chest. Megatron dodged it, but Prime punched him in the face and stumbled back, allowing Ironhide to rush in and ram his shoulder into Megatron’s chest. Ironhide pushed forward, smashing Megatron through a boulder and throwing him to the ground.

“Get up, Megatron! You don’t get to lie down on the job!” Ironhide said. Megatron obliged, getting to his feet and grinning.

“No rest for the wicked, it would seem.” Megatron said. “Nightshade, eradicate Prime’s lacky!”

A black form appeared in the sky and swooped down at high speeds. Nightshade, diving towards Ironhide, released her mini-missiles from her wings. The missiles shot at Bumblebee and Bulkhead, who were unable to fully escape the missiles that hit the area around them, though Bulkhead shielded Bumblebee with his larger body.

Nightshade transformed and kicked Ironhide in the chest, slamming him to the ground before drawing her swords and stabbing at his face. Ironhide tilted his head to avoid the sharp blades and jumped back up, taking out his tomahawk and swinging it at her, making her leap back. She deflected his tomahawk and avoided his plasma blast from his cannon before slashing at his head, which he also blocked with his weapon.

“Good to see your age hasn’t dulled your fighting skills.” She taunted.

“If you think I’m still good, you should fight Kup and see if you still think that.” Ironhide said and fired his cannons at her again.

Nightshade ran in a wide arc around him and sheathed her swords before drawing Gandiva, shooting an arrow at Ironhide. The red Autobot dodged the arrow, and it hit the side of the asp’s head, completely blowing it off in one shot. Unknown to Nightshade, her misfire would cause the entire battle to go in an entirely different direction.

As soon as the asp’s head hit the ground, the statues began to shake. Everyone stopped fighting when they saw the statues slowly begin to move, stone and dust falling off them like dried paint to reveal sleek metal plating underneath. Nyame, Oshun and Anansi shook off their stone coating and slowly stood up, old gears and servo-joints creaking and groaning with each movement. Once they stood to their full height, the golems focused on the Autobots and Decepticons, and everyone knew that they weren’t going to be greeted lightly.

“I hate golems.” Bulkhead groaned.

The Ogoad wasted no time in attacking the intruders of their master’s resting place. Designed for the sole purpose of protecting the graves of the king and queen, the golems performed their duty with utmost diligence and attacked their enemies without hesitation. At this point, Autobots and Decepticons alike could only hope that their smaller counterparts could find the panel fast enough.

XXXXXX

Kevin, Penny, Razor and Undertone walked down the stairs leading to the massive mines the asp was built over. They hadn’t even taken a few steps down the stairs before they were assaulted by some still operational traps, which Undertone took care of without problems. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, they entered a large cave network of multiple levels that composed the vast accumulation of the royals’ wealth.

“This place is every bit as amazing as the stories said they were.” Penny marveled. She couldn’t believe she was actually exploring this place in the heart of Anea. “This is history in the making, people and we’ve got front rose seats to it all.”

“Aside from making first contact with aliens.” Kevin smirked. Penny scowled at him and smacked his arm.

“Don’t ruin the moment, Kevin.”

“So, where are we?” Razor asked. “What’s so special about this place?”

“Well according to legend, these mines were once the secret meeting place of where King Solomon and Queen Sheba would meet each other in private.” Penny explained. “They loved each other deeply, but they could not be together because of the differences between their respective kingdoms. They courted each other in secret and even had a child that stayed with Sheba, but ultimately they died apart from each other.”

“That’s a bit stupid.” Razor frowned. “What’s the point of being king or queen if you can’t do whatever you want?”

“Love is seldom simple, Razor.” Kevin shrugged.

“These gold mines were a testament to their love. Some say that it was Sheba’s gift to Solomon, but others say that all of it was a testament of Solomon’s love for Sheba.” Penny continued. “But the fact is that all of this is a sign of just how strong love is, even when both spouses are restricted to different parts of the world.”

“This all just sounds so complicated. Couldn’t they just say how they feel about each other and save everyone the trouble?”

“If only it were that easy, Razor.” Penny sighed and glanced at Kevin. Emotions were a fickle thing, and people’s reactions and fears only made it harder to everyone involved.

After crossing a bridge, they walked through a few narrow corridors until they reached a natural canyon that was carved out smoothly from one side of the mine to the other. It was so narrow that only two people to could through it side by side at a time. There was some natural light afforded by, if you could believe it, small energon crystals embedded in the walls, but they could barely see more than a foot ahead of them.

“Energon, huh? Go figure.” Penny idly said and took a step forward, only to hear Kevin yell out to her.

“Penny!” Kevin jumped forward and covered Penny with his body, letting the red energy beam hit his back and be absorbed into his body. His body glowed briefly as he pulled Penny back to the Minicons.

“Whoa, where did that come from?” Penny asked, a bit shaken from almost being incinerated on the spot.

“No clue, I can’t see anything up there.” Razor said, looking at the dark area above them.

Another laser blast was shot at them from the darkness. Razor grabbed the kids and jumped back as it hit the ground near them. Undertone looked up and pointed at where the beam came from, and then glanced at Kevin, who understood what he meant.

“Let’s shed some light on the situation.” Kevin drew upon the energy he absorbed from the beam and shot a blast upwards. The blast gave a little bit of light, but they couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“Think our hit man bailed on us?” Razor said. Undertone shook his head and tapped her shoulder, indicating he had a plan to solve this dilemma.

Sitting on his perch on one of the ledges high above the group, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw tracked their movements. They were completely out of sight, protected from any attacks they could throw at them and undetectable to any sensors they might have. They also couldn’t see the group, but neither Con cared as they continued shooting in the direction of the voices they heard.

Buzzsaw looked over the edge and saw only three people down below. The white Minicon was missing. “Hey, where’d the white one go?”

Laserbeak scanned the area and saw Razor leaping along the walls to reach them. “Hold that thought!”

He flew off his ledge and fired his laser cannons at Razor, but was shocked when the lasers shot right through her and hit the wall, causing her image to fizzle out. It was a hologram! At that moment, an energy blast hit his wing hard enough to blast him out of the air and spiral out of control.

“You got him, Kevin! Roast that birdy!” Penny cheered. Kevin raised his arms and fired another blast that hit Laserbeak in the chest and sent him crashing into the wall, tumbling down to the ground and out of sight.

Buzzsaw cawed angrily and flew at them, shooting his laser cannons at the group. He didn’t notice Undertone running along the wall until the mech had jumped on his back and stabbed into his wings, severing important joints that stalled Buzzsaw in the air and sent him falling fast. Undertone stayed on top of him until the last minute and jumped off Buzzsaw as he hit the ground, bouncing once before landing on his back unconscious.

Kevin and Penny approached the downed Con warily with Razor in front of them.

“Who’s the bird?” Penny asked.

“The one behind us is Laserbeak, and this little freak is Buzzsaw. They’re both Soundwave’s agents.” Razor answered, kicking the wounded mech’s bird-like head. “If they’re here, then chances are that they didn’t come here alone. I’m willing to bet my videogame collection that Rumble, Frenzy, and Ravage are here too.”

“Three Cons against two Minicons and an esper.” Kevin frowned and crossed his arms. “Not the best odds, huh?”

“Numbers…not important…” Surprisingly, it was Undertone who spoke, though he spoke in broken sentences that clearly caused him some effort to do. “Quality…not quantity.”

Blinking, Tracer smiled and patted Undertone on the back. “I knew you were a cool guy, Undertone.”

Penny raised a finger. “Before we go, I want to do something first.”

Just barely conscious, Laserbeak weakly lifted his head and saw Penny marching over to him. The girl stood over him and lifted her boot, and the last thing he saw was her foot heading towards his face before his vision went dark.

XXXXXX

Megatron cursed the forces that be for creating such an infuriating planet such as Terra as he ducked under a swipe of Nyame’s massive broadsword. The kingly golem was armed with two swords, which it wielded with astounding skill and efficiency despite their large size. Nightshade and Soundwave regrouped to fight it, but the golem’s wide reaching slashes and swift movements kept them mobile and unable to properly counterattack. Nightshade wasn’t even able to use Gandiva with how fast Nyame was moving.

Megatron transformed to his tank mode and drove around Nyame’s legs, firing his fusion cannon at its legs. His aim was on point, but any satisfaction he felt was immediately gone when he saw his beams being diffused by some energy barrier around its vital areas. Megatron could see a collection of tiny crystals buried in Nyame’s armor that were generating the local force field.

Soundwave ran behind the golem and shot a few rockets from his shoulder launcher at its back. To his surprise, they hit their mark, making Nyame stumble forward while also blasting off a chunk of its armor.

“Megatron, use physical weapons and projectiles. Energy attacks are ineffective.” Soundwave said, leaping back to dodge the large sword slamming into the ground just inches from his chest.

Nightshade was already on it, shifting to beast mode and shooting her micro-missiles at its body. Despite being hit by the missiles, Nyame was still in the game, and it showed this by throwing one of its swords at Megatron. Megatron changed back to bipedal mode and jumped out of the sword’s path as it slammed into the ground, nearly cutting him in half. However, he wasn’t expecting the golem to suddenly charge him, swinging a giant fist that slammed into his left side, breaking his arm and sending him flying four feet into the side of a rocky mound.

Soundwave continued to fire his rockets at Nyame, but the golem’s armor was more durable than he anticipated. With its remaining sword, Nyame attacked Soundwave, but the spymaster jumped out of the way, allowing Nightshade to fly in and land behind it. Taking out her swords, she started slashing at its Achilles heel, managing to slice into the metal and sever vital power conduits arranged in a manner similar to muscle tendons around the golem’s endoskeleton. That one good hit was enough to send Nyame falling to its knee.

“Just die already!” Nightshade growled.

A bellowing war cry from Megatron was all the warning she got before she jumped off as Megatron jumped on the golem’s back. Looked as good as he felt, sporting a broken arm that was almost mangled and pointing in the opposite direction, and a broken shoulder. Still, he was strong enough to fight, and he reached to a storage compartment on his back, pulling out a handle and pressing a button. The handle generated an energo-field, creating an energo-mace, a weapon that he rarely used but always had on hand in case his other weapons were disabled. He began smashing his spiked mace into the back of Nyame’s head, trying to cave its skull in the old fashioned way.

Nyame grabbed onto Megatron and threw him to the ground, where he fired his fusion cannon into its face. As the energy blast blinded it, Nightshade flew onto its shoulder and began stabbing her swords into its neck cables. Nyame tried to grab her, but she continued hacking away at anything that looked vital. Her efforts didn’t take long to take its toll on the large machine; the golem fell to its knees as power flowing from its body to its head was interrupted and its movements began to slow. A final stab severed the connections in its neck and it groaned to a stop, its head falling off its shoulders and hanging by just a few cables. Nightshade sighed in relief and jumped off the dead robot.

“Get off me!” Megatron pushed Soundwave away when he tried to help him up. He got to his feet and held his broken arm.

“You’re hurt.” Nightshade pointed out as she walked over to them. “I’ll call Knockout for a med-evac.”

“Do that and you’ll be spending the next few months walking home!” Megatron hissed. “I’m not leaving here until I get what I came here for!”

Nightshade scowled at her leader’s anger. “Do you think you can fight in that condition? You can barely speak without coughing!”

“My orders are absolute, Nightshade!” He growled.

“I don’t care. My duty is to ensure your well being.” She yelled back.

Before their argument could heat up, Nightshade was hit from behind by a thick stream of liquid that pinned her to a boulder. The strange fluid solidified upon contact and trapped her to the rock, leaving only her head, wings and hands free. Megatron and Soundwave turned to see the spider-like golem Anansi crawling towards them, still wearing that creepy smile on its mask-like face.

“What is that abomination doing here? I thought it was fighting the Autobots!” Megatron snarled.

Acting on a hunch, he turned to look at the Autobots, who were fighting Oshun. He saw Optimus give him a mocking two-fingered salute before returning to his fight. It didn’t take long for Megatron to put the pieces together.

Megatron’s enraged scream could be heard for miles across the Anean countryside.

XXXXXX

Deep in the tunnels underground, the team of humans and Minicons traveled through the winding maze of hallways that would’ve gotten them lost had it not been for Undertone’s amazing sense of direction. They managed to avoid dead ends and traps as they made their way to a large cavern with a deep pit in the middle. There was solid ground at the bottom, but the drop was too far to survive without some kind of mechanical assistance. The only way to the other side was an old, rickety bridge that somehow withstood the test of time.

Kevin looked up at the ceiling and saw trickles of sand leaking through tightly sealed seams that were just barely noticeable. “That doesn’t look reassuring.”

“The ceiling looks like it’s about to cave in.” Razor said.

“That’s probably the whole point. It’s meant to dump a desert on us if we make a wrong move.” Penny frowned and rubbed her chin. “Got to admit, these guys knew their stuff when it came to giving grave robbers a workout.”

“If you’re done praising the ancients, Penny, we need to keep going. Soundwave’s pets are probably at the treasury already.”

Kevin took a step toward the bridge, but Undertone held him back and pointed across the bridge. On the other side were two tall figures standing at the corridor, and Razor recognized them as Rumble and Frenzy.

“What’s up Autobitches?” Rumble grinned. “How were Laserbeak and Buzzsaw? Did they make you go cold turkey?”

“Wow, that was a bad joke, even for me.” Razor groaned.

“We’d love to stay and beat your collective asses, but we’re on a tight schedule.” Frenzy said. “Bro, waste them!”

Rumble’s power driver arms began hammering the ground repeatedly. The vibrations generated from his body traveled through his arms into the ground and spread out through the cavern, effectively creating a localized earthquake. Kevin tried to attack Rumble, but Razor pulled him back before the rocks could crush him. Undertone looked up and saw the ceiling start to crack.

“Have fun with our sand castle, scrubs!” Rumble cackled and ran into the tunnel with his brother as the cave continued to shake.

Undertone and Razor backed away with the kids as the ceiling finally gave away and a flood of sand fell into the cavern. Thousands of pounds of sand flowed in from the surface like a waterfall, and dust filled the air, obscuring everyone’s vision. Kevin and Penny had to cover their nose and mouths to avoid breathing in the dusty air as the Minicons stood protectively over them. The sand was powerful enough obliterated the bottom of the pit, punched through the floor, and fell through the lower chambers down below.

The sand continued to fall for 2 minutes before the flow started to taper off, shrinking into a trickle before stopping entirely. Once the dust settled and everyone could see again, they got a good look at the damage caused by the sand. The bridge was destroyed, as was the bottom of the pit, where a massive hole sat, which led to the chamber below them. Penny looked down and whistled as she realized that she could see all the way down to the lower levels of the mines.

“Damn, that was a lot of sand. I didn’t think that much sand could cause so much damage.” She remarked. Looking up, she sighed at the broken taters of the bridge. “And we don’t have a bridge now. How are we going to catch up to them?”

“Maybe we can jump across.” Razor suggested. “I can warp over there, and I’m pretty sure it’s no trouble for Undertone to jump across either. Hopefully the rock isn’t weak from that overflow of kitty litter.”

Kevin hummed and looked down into the hole. “Why don’t we climb down?”

“Climb down? As in try to go straight down nearly two stories of floors without climbing equipment?” Penny looked at her best friend with no small amount of skepticism. “How is that going to work? Surely there’s a better, safer idea to try out.”

“Penny, we’ve wasted enough time dealing with Laserbeak and Buzzsaw, and almost getting buried under half a desert worth’s of sand. We can’t play it safe anymore.” He insisted.

“I don’t know. Do you think we can manage that?” Razor asked, not very sure about the idea.

Undertone stepped forward and studied the hole. After a quick minute, he looked at the others and nodded, drawing his swords and motioning for Kevin to get on his back.

“Looks like Undertone’s on board.” Kevin smiled and turned to the girls. “Ladies, the choice is yours.”

Penny and Razor looked at each other. When Razor shrugged, Penny groaned and patted her cheeks, gearing up for one of the many difficulties that came with being a member of the human/Minicon retrieval team.

“Alright, we’ll do this the hard way!” She grumbled. “Let’s get this over with before I wuss out.”

XXXXXX

The vault containing King Solomon and Queen Sheba’s treasures was located at the bottom level of the tomb. Heavily fortified against intruders, the chamber that held the vault was lavishly decorated with smooth, partly chipped walls that were a beautiful shade of aquamarine that had tiled murals depicting mythical creatures from both rulers’ cultures. The support columns were made of dark limestone that was only slightly faded with age, much like the rest of the chamber. As for the vault itself, it lied behind two large doors made of adamantium, the world’s strongest metal, with two gold plated engravings of Solomon and Sheba touching hands.

Blasting the doors apart didn’t do any good, as Rumble and Frenzy quickly learned. Even Rumble’s pile driver arms barely made a dent in it. Adamantium was a hardy metal after all; difficult to find, difficult to break. Ravage was the one to make a connection when Frenzy accidentally summoned some sort of orb from the ceiling upon stepping onto one of the two platforms in front of the door. When the same thing happened on Rumble’s side, it presented an idea that the feline Minicon was willing to test out.

“Stand on the platforms, both of you.” Ravage ordered.

“Hey, who died and made you boss?” Rumble protested. Ravage peeled his lips back in a snarl at the challenge to his authority.

“You will if you don’t listen to my orders!” He growled.

“Okay, okay we’ll do it.” Frenzy said, punching Rumble in the shoulder. He wasn’t going to piss off the robo-kitty that was twice his size.

The brothers stepped onto their platforms and the orbs appeared before them again. When they touched the orbs, nothing happened, prompting Frenzy to ask what to do next.

“Try touching them at the same time.” Ravage said.

The twins did as they were told and two beams of light shot from the eyes of the engravings of the king and queen on the door, running up and down the two Minicons as if scanning them. Ravage waited impatiently for something to happen, and after a minute something did, only it wasn’t what he was hoping for. Once the beams were done scanning, they turned from green to red and the twins jumped back in pain as they were blasted off the platforms.

“What is this?” Ravage growled. “I thought that was how the doors would open! What went wrong?”

“Frag this!” Frenzy took out his blaster and pointed it at the doors. “I’m gonna mess that pretty painting up.”

“You will no such thing!” Ravage exclaimed, hissing at the red mech. “Not until we know what we’re dealing with. Or maybe you want to tell Megatron how we lost the panel because you had an itchy trigger finger?”

Frenzy gritted his teeth and lowered his weapon, but his anger didn’t subside. “You weren’t just zapped by a fraggin’ heat ray! How about you stand up there and see if anything different happens.”

“Yeah, do something useful for once instead of barking orders!” Rumble shouted.

Ravage bared his teeth in a snarl as he glared at them through narrow red eyes. He was just as frustrated as they were, but he hid it better, which was lucky for them. If he had a hair trigger temper like them, they would be in pieces on the ground at his feet. Their deaths wouldn’t make a difference, there were always casualties in war, friendly fire being an unfortunate truth. Granted, he figured that the universe would be a better place without those morons wasting space and air.

A loud noise from the hall alerted the three Minicons and they turned to the entrance. Rumble and Frenzy ran to the doorway and pointed their weapons at it and Ravage stood ready to pounce at the first sign of the intruder. When the unintended visitor made their appearance, Ravage almost leapt at him but stopped himself at the last minute.

“Laserbeak?” Ravage said, surprised to see his fellow beast here of all places. “What are you doing here?”

“I came from the canyon,” Laserbeak said in his broken speech patterns. He landed on top of a rock as he gave his report. “They got Buzzsaw, but I made it away. The humans and Minicons are stalled, but we need to get that panel now.”

“We’re workin’ on that. Rumble grumbled. “But the damn door has been givin’ us problems.”

Ravage narrowed his eyes at Laserbeak, sniffing at the Con. “What took you so long to get here? It shouldn’t have taken you so long to find us.”

“I got mixed up.” Laserbeak replied. “There was another room that looks just like this one and I went into it by mistake.”

That made the other three Cons pause. They all looked at Laserbeak as Frenzy asked the golden question.

“Another…room?”

“Who’s the bird here, you or me? I just said there’s another room!” Laserbeak cawed. “What’s the problem?”

“That explains why the door isn’t opening. We’re in the wrong room.” Ravage muttered. “Hurry, we must head to the other room before the Minicons find it!”

The Minicons left the chamber and went back down the tunnel to the fork in the path they bypassed. Not long after they were gone, Kevin and Penny came out of their hiding place and ran into the chamber. Penny gasped at the room and quickly took a couple of pictures of the place with her camera that she brought along (she wasn’t sure if she was going to get another chance like this ever again, so she came prepared).

“Let’s get to work. Undertone’s trick won’t fool them for long.” Kevin said. He walked up to the door and tapped his knuckles against it. “Anybody have any ideas on how to open this thing? I doubt I could break through this even if I was fully charged.”

Penny ran her hands along the smooth ridges of the murals. When they were hiding, she noticed that Rumble and Frenzy tried opening the doors using some ancient scanning mechanism. Such technology would have been out of place in a society that hadn’t even reached steam power yet, but many cultures around the world utilized Arian technology without even knowing what it was or how to properly use it. It was just another thing about the Arians that people never understood.

“Penny?” Kevin’s voice shook her from her thoughts.

“Huh? Oh, right, sorry.” Penny stepped back from the door. “Okay, from what I’ve seen, this door is equipped with some kind of scanning device or something that was made to keep unwanted visitors out.”

“Like fingerprint scanners that some high tech companies and banks use?” Kevin questioned.

“Yeah, only this one will fry you if you’re not the right person on the list. We’ve got to be careful about this.”

Kevin looked at the platform and stepped up on it, causing the orb from earlier to appear from above. “I think they did it like this…”

He touched the orb, but nothing happened this time. The mural on the door did not scan him like it did Rumble. “It’s not working.”

“Let me try.” Penny got on the other platform and touched her orb as it appeared, but just like Kevin, the mural of King Solomon opposite her did not scan her. “Okay, this is not good.”

“What do we do Penny?” Kevin asked.

“I don’t know, but we need to think of something fast!” Penny bit her lip. “I don’t think Razor and Undertone can hold the Cons off for any longer.”

XXXXXX

The minute Ravage, Frenzy and Rumble entered the room that “Laserbeak” told them about, it was immediately clear that there were no similarities to the chamber they just left. It lacked the visible majesty and splendor the other chamber had, looking more like an earthquake hit the place. What was even more of a kick in the teeth was that there wasn’t even any vault!

“Laserbeak, what is this-“ Ravage spun around to tear into Laserbeak, but was surprised to see Laserbeak’s image flicker and change into a less friendly face-the Minicon Undertone, who had disguised himself using a holomatter generator! “Kill him!”

Rumble leapt forward to crush the mech’s skull in his claws, but Razor warped in front of him and kicked him in the face. She grabbed his head and slammed him to the ground before jumping back when he grabbed for her. Ravage roared and pounced at her, but she warped out of his reach and shot her pistols into his face to push him back.

Frenzy ran forward to join his brother, but Undertone was already zeroing in on him and leapt at Frenzy. The red mech converted his hands into drills and stabbed at Undertone, who deflected the drills and weaved around Frenzy to slash at his left leg. Staggering, Frenzy was unable to stop Undertone from grabbing him and throwing him into the wall, jumping forward and slashing his blades into Frenzy’s chest in an X formation.

Tracer dodged Rumble’s large pile drivers as she warped around him shooting various parts of his body that weren’t fully protected. Rumble, heavy as he was, was unable to get a lock on her and couldn’t even catch her in time. Ravage growled and brought out his plasma cannon from his back, firing at Razor to keep her in one place. Razor yelped as a plasma bolt shot past her face and she returned fire of her own, hitting Ravage’s front leg and making him stumble.

“Filthy little glitch!” Ravage growled.

Ravage shot a missile from one of the missile pods on his waist at her. Razor dodged the missile, but it exploded close behind her and the blast wave threw her to the ground. Dazed, Tracer couldn’t move in time before Rumble to charged at her and slammed his pile driver into her chest, smashing her into the wall. Ravage grinned and shot another missile at the prone Minicon, but Undertone leapt into the air and kicked the missile aside, sending it at Frenzy.

“Scrap!” Frenzy cursed and scrambled to get away. The missile exploded close to him and he was blasted away, crashing into the side of a fallen column with flames licking at his armor.

“Bro! You’re gonna pay for that ninja-boy!” Rumble snarled and prepared to unleash his pile drivers into the ground when Ravage head-butted him off his feet. “What’s the deal, Ravage?!”

“You’ll bring down the entire mine down on us if you use your pile drivers here, you idiot!” Ravage hissed. “Use your head!”

Behind them, Frenzy painfully stood up from where he was thrown, his body stinging in pain from the burns he suffered. Glaring at Undertone and Razor, he powered up his enhanced vocoders and inhaled. Ravage noticed too late what he planned to do and tried to stop him, but to no avail.

Frenzy released his sonic scream that sounded even louder in an enclosed space. Friend and foe were strongly affected by the deafening shriek but the actual sonic wave was directed at the Minicons. Undertone pushed Razor away and took the full brunt of the scream, taking it to the chest and slamming his body into the wall behind him, pinning him there with pure sound waves alone.

“That’s it, bro! Torch that cog sucker!” Rumble cheered, despite being barely audible over the noise.

Frenzy slowly advanced on the trapped Minicon, increasing the pressure on the mech until his chest plate started deforming from the intense sound waves putting pressure on his body. Frenzy tried to turn out the power of his scream to crush Undertone into scrap metal, but then he felt a sharp pain in his chest stopped his scream. A long sword was sticking out of his chest, stabbed through his back. Razor, who had taken Undertone’s sword and warped behind Frenzy, lifted the mech’s body over her head and threw him aside.

“Frenzy!” Rumble cried out and slammed his pile drivers into the ground. “You’re going to pay for that, bastard!”

Razor pulled her sword from Frenzy’s body and raised it to the two Cons. “You can come over here and make me. You bozos don’t scare me!”

XXXXXX

As the Decepticons battled Anansi, the Autobots had their own problems fighting Oshun, who looked like a glorified slink. In reality, its body was composed of thin blades sharp enough to cut through solid stone. A deep cut on Optimus’ forearm showed that it was quite effective on cybertronian armor too.

Its long arms carved deep gouges into the ground as it slashed them at the Autobots. They were forced to stay mobile in case it decided to switch targets on a dime, which it often did. Ironhide fired a plasma blast at its head, but the golem just weaved its body out of the way and kicked him back, nearly severing his cannon arm in the process.

“How long are the brats going to take down there?” Ironhide grunted, rubbing the gash on his arm. He jumped aside to dodge the whip-like arm that slammed down beside him. “What the hell are they doing there, sight-seeing?”

“If you think you can do a better job, Ironhide, you’re welcome to show us your skills.” Bulkhead said, also shooting his blaster at it.

“Don’t start with me, Bulkhead, I’m not in the mood!” Ironhide growled and hissed when one of its blades dug into his thigh.

“Stop chatting and kill it already!” Bumblebee yelled.

He and Optimus shot at Oshun from both sides but Oshun was still able to keep an eye on all the Autobots at once. When Optimus tried to shoot its leg, but it moved the limb and kicked Optimus hard in the chest. He fell hard on his back, and Oshun advanced on him, spinning its arms in tight circles to emulate saws. It stabbed one of its arm at him, but Bulkhead rushed in and grabbed it.

“No you don’t!” Bulkhead grunted, wincing as he felt its sharp finger blades cutting into his arms and chest.

Oshun merely looked down at the Autobot trying to hold it down, and lifted its arm. Bulkhead yelped as he was pulled off the ground and stared at the golem right into its crystal blue eyes.

“Uh…hi?” He said nervously.

Oshun slammed him into the ground once and flung him away. Then its chest panels opened to reveal a large chunk of yellow crystal, which crackled with energy. Oshun fired a strong bolt of electricity into Bulkhead’s chest and sent him flying out of the clearing into the rocks a few feet away. With one Autobot down, it turned its attention to Bumblebee and Ironhide, who weren’t feeling very good about their chances now.

“This is going about as well as I predicted.” Ironhide muttered.

XXXXXX

“Come on, Penny, we need to think of something quick.” Kevin said. He could hear more explosions through the thick stone walls and it wasn’t helping his nerves.

“I’m thinking, I’m thinking! Shit,” Penny rarely cursed, but the stress was getting to her. “Maybe it only opens under certain conditions. Like those tombs in Azteca.”

“What does that have to do with our problem here?” Kevin asked.

“In Azteca, the Mayans made secret vaults that could only be opened by mimicking different poses shown in paintings or by statues. Maybe it’s the same here, just more abstract.” Penny said, and then she got an idea. “I think I’ve got it!”

Penny hopped off the platform and dragged Kevin off his, making him switch positions with her. Once they were standing perpendicular to the king and queen respectively, Penny instructed him on her theory.

“We just need to match the positions of the people on the mural. That means I stand in front of the queen and you stand in front of the king.” Penny said.

“Okay, that’s easy enough.” Kevin nodded.

“Then…we need to copy their position on the mural, and that includes us getting a bit…close.” She blushed.

Kevin blinked. “How close.”

Penny pointed to the mural, which showed the king and queen lovingly embracing each other. Kevin gulped. “Oh, that close.”

Penny cleared her throat. “Yes, but chin up, Kevin. We’re doing this for a good cause.”

“You make it seem like this is a bad thing.” He teased.

“S-Shut up and hold me!”

Kevin and Penny stood facing each other on their platforms, standing close enough that their faces were inches from each other. Trying and failing to hide their embarrassment, the two children remained in place while staring into each other’s eyes, staying in that position as they touched the orbs. The eyes on the murals glowed and scanned them, taking only a few seconds to finish the job. For a few tense seconds it seemed that nothing happened, but then they heard a loud groan and turned to see the doors starting to slowly slide open.

“Oh my god, it actually worked?” Kevin gaped. Penny squealed and hugged him tightly around the neck.

“It worked, we did it!”

But the joyous moment was cut short when they saw Razor run into the chamber looking tired and hurt. She was scratched and bleeding in several areas, as well was covered in many burns along her body.

“You better make it snappy, loves.” Razor panted. “We’ve got company comin’!”

Just as she said that, Ravage came charging after her, roaring ferociously. She jumped to the side to avoid his lunge, but Ravage continued on his rampage towards the children. Razor jumped onto Ravage’s back and pulled his head back, making him stop. He ran around trying to dislodge her, but in her wounded state, she wouldn’t be able to hold him for long.

“Penny, go inside and get the panel.” Kevin told her.”

“What?” Penny looked at Kevin. “But what about you two?”

“We’ll hold the line here, but someone needs to go inside, and that’s you.” He said. “This is your time to shine, Penny. I’m just the bodyguard.”

Penny bit her lip nervously, but Kevin gave her a reassuring smile. She touched his hand before running past the doors into the vault. Ravage snarled when he saw the girl run in to steal his prize.

“No!” Ravage jumped onto his back, forcing Razor to push herself off him to avoid getting crushed under his weight. She rolled to her feet and jumped back when he snapped at her, but Ravage fired his laser cannon at the vault.

Kevin jumped in front of the beam and took the energy straight to his chest. His shirt was almost destroyed, but his body absorbed the energy, strengthening his body and erasing almost all of his fatigue. Razor leapt over to him and drew her blasters.

“Where’s Undertone?” Kevin asked.

“In the hallway taking care of twiddle dee and twiddle dum. He’s hurt, but he can still fight.”

They turned to Ravage, who was pacing back and forth, waiting for the right moment to strike. Then another combatant joined the fray, the heavily wounded but still kicking Laserbeak. Kevin cursed and channeled energy into his arms.

“No one gets in until Penny get’s back with the panel.” He said.

“No need to tell me, love.” Razor grinned and aimed her guns. “Let’s put these enemies back in the zoo!”

XXXXXX

Penny didn’t slow down in her sprinting, even when her lungs began to burn and her legs began to ache from the constant running. She knew every second wasted put more pressure on Kevin and Tracer, and she wasn’t going to let them get hurt because of her laziness. She just hoped that they found that stupid panel or else things would go wrong for everybody.

The first thing she registered when she reached the interior of the vault was the smell. The chamber was musty from not having any fresh air for nearly a thousand years, sealed almost air tight with no one opening it since it was first closed. But that was the last thing she was concerned about when she saw the gold-mountains and mountains of gold…and jewelry, can’t forget about that. Sure, the treasure was all dusty and stuff, but it didn’t stop her inner treasure hunter from flaring to the surface.

It all came rushing to her in realization-here she was, standing in King Solomon’s fabled mines, right in the middle of his legendary collection of gold that hundreds of people died searching for. Such a discovery was almost enough to match Gina’s milestone of making first contact with aliens, and she was going to make sure she remembered it!

Another explosion brought her out of her moment, and she remembered why she was here in the first place. The Minicon stasis panel, that was why she came here…but it didn’t stop her from snatching a couple of handfuls of jewels and stuffing them into her bag. Having pilfered enough gold and jewels to make her pockets bulge and make her backpack feel like it was made of solid lead, Penny started digging through the treasure to find the panel. But she had no idea where to look and the vault was too big to search thoroughly.

Then she heard something blow past the back of her neck and she spun around to see what it was. There was nothing behind her but another smaller pile of jewels, however, she saw something sticking out of the pile. It was a small ring shaped like a lavender crystal rose. It was connected to a chain, and when she pulled on the chain, she found that it was wrapped around something. Pulling harder, she was shocked to see that the chain was wrapped around the panel!

“Well slap me twice and call me Sally.” Penny grinned and looked up at the tall statue of the forbidden lovers. “Thank you.”

XXXXXX

“I remember you,” Ravage growled as he circled Kevin. “You and your friends caused me a lot of pain that day.”

“You act like I care.” Kevin replied.

Ravage leapt at him, but Razor kicked him aside and shot her blasters at Kevin, who absorbed the laser blasts that impacted his body. Jumping back, Kevin fired energy blasts at Laserbeak, who fired lasers of his own from his wing cannons. Laserbeak took a shot to the wing, but he swooped down and grabbed at Kevin with his sharp talons. Kevin barely dodged the sharp claws, but still got scratched on his back diving low to avoid the Con. Letting Laserbeak pass fully over him, Kevin jumped up and grabbed his tail feather, using his enhanced strength to drag Laserbeak to the ground and land a punch to his beak.

Razor flipped around Ravage, shooting her blasters while dodging Ravage’s plasma cannon. The feline mech shot a missile from his waist mounted pods, but Razor warped away to allow the missile to hit a wall.

“Nice try, but you won’t get me this time.” Razor taunted.

“Then I will just try another method.” Ravage sneered and pounced at Razor. An energy blast hit him in the side and knocked him to the ground.

Kevin charged at Ravage firing his energy blasts non-stop. They hit Ravage with enough strength to push him back, but Ravage fired two missiles at Kevin to force him back. As expected, the esper absorbed the kinetic energy released by the missiles upon exploding, but he was still blasted off his feet.

“Would you just go down already?” Kevin grunted.

“It’ll take more than just you, boy.” Ravage grumbled, though he was visibly hurt from the strong energy blasts that blew chunks of his armor off. “You should’ve stayed home. Now die, human!”

Ravage charged at Kevin, but something large slammed into the side of his body and threw him into a column. It was Frenzy’s body, and he had a shuriken thrown into his leg seconds after hitting Ravage…an exploding shuriken. It detonated and blasted them apart, sending Frenzy’s smoking body one way and a severely burned Ravage the other way.

Razor and Kevin saw Undertone jump into the room with Rumble hot on his tail, trying to smash him into scrap. Undertone had lost his other sword and was just trying to dodge the Con. Undertone was doing a great job in holding Rumble back, but a wound in his right leg made him stagger when he put too much weight on it. Rumble used this opportunity to rush in for the kill, trying to crush Undertone’s head in his claws. Undertone kept his claws from his head, but his joints strained under the pressure.

“You’re good, fly boy, but not enough to beat me.” Rumble grinned, slowly increasing the pressure on him. “No one is stronger than me!”

Razor warped behind him and stabbed Undertone’s sword into his shoulder, making him flinch away in pain. Undertone broke free and retrieved his sword, leaping up and slashing Rumble across the face, shattering his optical visor and cutting into one of his eyes.

Rumble roared in pain, but he didn’t have time to get angry at his situation as the Minicons split apart and allowed Kevin a clean shot. The boy fired an energy blast into the middle of Rumble’s chest and sent him flying backwards, crashing right through the wall.

“That was nice teamwork, guys. Best feeling I’ve felt all day.” Kevin smiled.

“Guys, guys!” Penny ran, or rather waddled, into the room with the panel in her arms and pockets and bag full of valuables. “I’ve got the panel! Let’s…” She looked around at the battle damaged chamber and the battered Cons at her feet. “Wow…what did I miss?”

“Nothing much, just us kicking ass.” Kevin grinned. “Now let’s get out of here and call the Autobots.”

XXXXXX

“Hya!” Optimus roared as he severed Oshun’s arm, just as its sharp fingers impaled his shoulder. Oshun attacked him again, but he leapt away, ripping the blades from his wounded shoulder.

“Ow, ow! Careful, Bee, that stings.” Bulkhead complained as Bumblebee helped him up.

“Stop being a baby, it’s not that serious.” Bumblebee said, glancing down at the still sizzling spot of irritated armor on Bulkhead’s chest. It was nothing more than a large scorch mark on his rotund belly, barely reaching an inch into his thick armor. Had he been any weaker, the blast could’ve done some serious damage. “We’re barely making progress with this thing, but at least the Cons aren’t doing any better than us.”

Bulkhead looked back up the hill and saw Megatron and Soundwave still battling Anansi. Its speed and fast reflexes made fighting it difficult on top of Nightshade’s current predicament and Megatron’s injuries. Blackout had joined them, but all he was doing was pissing the golem off even more.

“How long do you think it’ll take them to beat it?” Bulkhead wondered.

“Probably another hour, if not half that time.” Bumblebee answered.

Optimus ran over to Ironhide and helped him up from where he landed after Oshun kicked him. Taking out his battle axe, Optimus planned to rush in and finish that golem himself when he finally got the call he was waiting for.

_“Optimus, we’ve got the panel and we’re heading back to the surface!”_ Razor reported. _“We’ll need a safe exit!”_

“Copy that, Razor.” Optimus said and called the Ark. “Teletran, we need a ground bridge at Minicon Razor and Minicon Undertone’s location. Autobots, fall back to secondary positions away from the statue.”

“But won’t the golem chase us along the way?” Bumblebee asked.

“Just do it, Bumblebee. Trust me.” Optimus said. “Now go!”

Optimus ran at Oshun and slashed at its leg, getting its attention and led it away from the asp just as a ground bridge appeared at the entrance. Oshun chased after Prime, slashing at him and also shooting bolts from its chest. Optimus transformed and drove up the hill to where the Cons were still fighting Anansi. He didn’t even slow down when he rammed into Soundwave, knocking the spymaster over as he sped past them. Behind him, Oshun still continued its pursuit, nearly running over Soundwave as it chased Optimus. As for Megatron, he saw the ground bridge appear for Optimus and pointed his fusion cannon.

“You’re not running away, Prime!” Megatron fired his fusion cannon at Prime, but Optimus changed forms and jumped into the ground bridge, where it disappeared.

At this point, Megatron knew he had lost the panel, and that they were essentially here for no reason anymore. Before he could let out his frustrations on the damaged Anansi, a large shadow fell over him, and he looked up to see Oshun’s expressionless face staring down at him. Megatron finally reached his tipping point.

“PRIME!”

XXXXXX

“Holy slag, he actually did that?” Runway laughed. Razor nodded as she told her story.

“He totally did. It was the best thing ever. I just managed to spot Oshun hovering over Megatron when Prime went into the bridge.” She smiled. “It was bloody gold!”

“Ha! Who knew Prime could’ve been such a troll!” Sonar cackled. “I love the guy!”

As Tracer told the story of the mission to the Air Defense Team, the others were gathered around the new addition to their roster, an old war hound named Refute. He was a heavily armored bright orange mech who had faded battle scars all over his body, some from age, and others from scuffles he got into back in his day. He transformed into a mining vehicle with large pincers at the front of his alt mode designed for crushing or lifting heavy loads.

“Welcome to Terra, Refute. My name is Gina.” Gina introduced herself to the Minicon.

“Pleasure to meet you. Sparkplug has said a lot of good things about you and your friends.” Refute said in a deep voice, his gratitude evident even in his blue optic visor. “I can’t thank you enough for doing what you do for the Minicons.”

“All in a day’s work.” Gina smiled cutely.

On the sidelines, Annie and Penny were discussing the latter’s little…discoveries in the vault. Everyone else didn’t notice, but Annie (who had a bit of an eye for shiny things of great value) zeroed in on her overflowing pockets and backpack and took Penny into the corner.

“Please tell me you snagged some bling in that tomb?”

Penny’s grin was positively blinding. “Damn right I did!”

Penny took Annie to a secluded part of the room and emptied her pockets and bag, and the girls shifted through the large amount of gold and jewels she had pilfered from the vault. Annie got the monopoly on anything that wasn’t gold, having a bit of a thing for shiny rocks. Sparkling gemstones were more interesting to her than gold anyway, so when she spotted the rose ring Penny found, her eyes sparkled like two stars.

“Well hello,” Annie picked up the ring and held it to the light, relishing the way the crystal rose gleamed in her eye. “What’s this?”

“I found it on a chain wrapped around the panel when it dug it out.” Penny told her. “Take it, it’s yours. Rings aren’t my thing anyway.”

“Thanks.” Annie slipped the ring onto her finger on her right hand and went back to inspecting Penny’s spoils. During their shameless digging, neither girl noticed that the ring glowed for a split second before going dark again.

The rose had planted its roots.

 


	33. Whisper

Chapter 32-Whisper

The ring on Annie’s finger felt warm, like it was emitting its own heat. In fact, her whole body felt warm, as if she sat out in the middle of a hot summer day without any sunscreen on. That may be because she was sitting in the cockpit of her talos, Enyo, in the middle of a fierce battle between the Autobots and Decepticons in the middle of an already cramped cave.

It was another retrieval mission; Annie, Darren, Gina and their guardians were helping the Autobots secure a moderately sized energon deposit in the Rocky Mountains. Some of the Minicons came along to help mine as much energon as possible and the children acted as their guards with their talos. Admittedly, the deposit was nothing to jump at, and it would’ve been overlooked in favor of larger deposits…except, there were no larger deposits.

Recently, energon had been a major concern for both Autobots and Decepticons. With their battles getting larger and more drawn out, they were burning through their stockpiles rapidly, faster than they could produce artificially. The cybertronians were also having a harder time finding sufficient energon mines that could sustain them. Things were stable for now, but there was a growing sense of urgency among the Autobots in regards to energon. And the same was happening to the Cons, given Megatron’s recent raids.

Because of this fuel shortage, this supposedly simple energon scouting mission erupted into an all out battle in just under twenty minutes. A team of Cons led by Megatron himself came from who knows where and began attacking the Autobots. Optimus led the charge against his nemesis in a chaotic clash of heavy metal fists and blast bolts flying everywhere. The cave wasn’t large at all, and most of the combat was regulated to melee and close combat. The kids stayed close to the Minicons, keeping them safe from the Cons that had any funny ideas.

Sparkplug directed the Minicons through the chaos, making sure they obtained as many energon crystals as possible. Darren sheared off the larger crystals to send through the ground bridge, but their progress was slow thanks to the pot shots Starscream kept shooting at them.

“Come on, people, leg it!” Annie yelled down to the Minicons. Enyo dumped another crystal into the half full crates and sent it through the bridge. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, but she remained focused on the task at hand. “We’re almost done.”

“How much did we gather already?” Darren asked.

“Not a lot.” Gina answered. “Just enough to keep the Autobots good for about two days max. Three, if they conserve.”

“That’s all? I thought Teletran-1 said this was a large deposit!” Darren groaned and rubbed his face in frustration. “What’s the point of us even being here then?”

“What the Autobots don’t need, they can give to the Minicons.” Annie said. “Now stop whining and move it!”

Her unit’s combat computer beeped upon detecting an oncoming projectile and she moved her talos to the side to avoid a null blast shot at her from behind. Growling, Annie turned around and saw Starscream walking towards them with his powerlinked null ray fully charged.

“Hand over the energon and I’ll let you live human.” Starscream grinned.

Annie didn’t bother replying, she merely pointed her talos’ shoulder mounted beam cannons and fired. Starscream dodged it, but Enyo charged at him like a heavily armored bull and slammed into him with great force. They crashed into a wall and Annie threw a punch at his face, which Starscream barely dodged and kicked her away. He fired a shot from his null ray, which sailed over her shoulder and hit an energon crate. The energon blew up in a plume of blue flames, knocking Darren off his feet and nearly incinerating Centurion.

“No, the energon!” Annie glared hatefully at the smirking Starscream, gripping her control sticks hard enough to make her hands bleed. “You asshole!”

Annie drew her beam saber and fired up her unit’s thrusters, shooting forward at the Decepticon. Starscream met her charge with one of his own and brought out his bayonet, slashing at Enyo’s head. Annie raised her arm and let the blade bounce off her machine’s thick armor before slashing her beam saber upward, leaving a shallow diagonal cut along Starscream’s chest. He stumbled back from the close call, but failed to see Enyo’s large armored fist heading for his face until he was clocked right in the jaw.

Annie kicked him away and looked around angrily. “Who else wants some?”

A few feet away, Megatron batted aside a missile shot by Ironhide and returned fire with his fusion cannon. Remaining largely isolated from the battle, Megatron hung back and monitored the field for any advantage he could get. He saw a flash of green at the corner of his eye and turned to see one of the humans’ talos flying around attacking his soldiers. He almost smirked upon see the black and white talos decimate Starscream and leave him out cold on the ground. It looked like Prime’s pets were getting better fighting in their war.

But just because they could fight didn’t mean they were soldiers. This conflict was no place for a bunch of aliens, and Megatron was going to remind them of that. Someone had to pay for Lugnut’s death, and this girl just stepped up to the plate. With an evil smile, Megatron raised his cannon and waited for the right moment to strike. Once her back was turned, he fired his cannon.

Annie didn’t even hear the sound of the fusion cannon firing its fusion beam, as she was too busy watching out for the Minicons. By luck alone, she looked at her rear camera monitor and saw the death beam heading straight for her.

And then the world was flame rushing past metal.

The heat was unbearable. Annie could feel it even within the confines of her heavily armored talos. Her eyes shut and she could see the flashes of red and orange from the explosion. She could feel the heat licking at her cockpit hatch, and tasted blood in her mouth from hitting her head on her upraised arm, still holding the control stick. But death didn’t come for her at that minute, as she could still feel her body and the machine around her.

What stood out the most was what she could hear. She heard the roar of flames and the boom of the explosion. She heard the scream of metal tearing apart.

Then she heard a familiar deep voice speak from above. A pained, metallic voice that whispered, “Y-You okay, Annie?”

“B-Bulkhead?”

Annie’s ears rang as she looked up at her now wounded friend, Bulkhead. The green Autobot’s entire left arm was gone at the shoulder, completely vaporized from Megatron’s attack and was smoking and shooting sparks. Bulkhead himself was trying to stay conscious despite the horrendous pain going through his system.

Annie heard voices outside-Darren and Gina. She couldn’t hear them, but they were yelling at her in relief and fear. But all Annie could do was lock gazes with the blue eyes of the Autobot that almost died for her through the monitor.

XXXXXX

Back in the Ark, after a long and harrowing battle, Ratchet left the medibay with a sigh and addressed his worried teammates. “Bulkhead is stable, for now. I’ve fixed his damaged fuel lines and placed him into the CR chamber to recuperate. It’ll take some time, but he’ll make a complete recovery.”

“Which means he’ll be off duty for a while.” Prowl sighed. “Great, as if we aren’t stressed already.”

“I should never have let Megatron out of my sight.” Optimus sighed and rubbed his forehead crest. “I never expected him to attack Annie so suddenly.”

“It could’ve been worse,” Bumblebee said. “If Bulkhead hadn’t turned mid-air like that, he would’ve been blasted clean through his torso.”

Megatron’s fusion cannon was one of the most powerful weapons in the Decepticon’s arsenal. A direct hit from it meant certain death for almost anyone unlucky enough to get caught in its targeting sights. Few could take a blast from it head on, and even Optimus, with his Matrix-enhanced superstructure, made sure to avoid getting hit by its fusion beam. Annie’s talos, heavily armored it had been, would not have withstood being hit directly. Bulkhead’s quick thinking saved her life.

“It’s all my fault…”

All eyes in the room, human and cybertronian, turned to Annie. She was mostly unharmed save for a bump on her forehead and a split lip. Clad in a loose black t-shirt and torn jeans, the girl was trying to blink back her tears that just kept coming.

“He didn’t even hesitate…he just dove right in and almost got killed…for me!” Annie gritted her teeth as more tears started to fall.

“Annie, it wasn’t your fault.” Darren said, walking over to her. He tried to comfort her but she pushed him away.

“No! This wouldn’t have happened if I was stronger!” Annie shouted. “Even when I have a giant robot of my own, I’m still fucking weak!”

Annie ran out of the room, leaving behind her speechless brother and concerned friends.

XXXXXX

Annie spent the rest of the evening depressed and in a foul mood. She didn’t talk to anybody, she didn’t eat dinner and she only left her room to wash up before heading back to bed. Bulkhead rescuing her replayed over and over in her head and the sight of his ravaged body looming over her plagued her thoughts. Despite Darren and Gina’s attempts to comfort her, it only made her feel worse and she pushed them away, spending the rest of her night in solitude. Even Grindor was given the cold shoulder, which was a first for him, and he was left feeling very lonely despite being in the same room as her. He didn’t like it when Annie was depressed like this.

As she tried to sleep, Annie’s mind was still going a mile a minute. She never really had a fear of death that most kids would have, and meeting the Autobots didn’t change that one bit. In some disturbing turn of events, being at the center of so many near-death situations with the Autobots and Minicons sort of desensitized the kids to the danger, and at this point, it was just another day on the job for them. Even piloting talos against giant alien killing machines who had no problems snuffing her out wasn’t as scary as it was facing down Megatron in their first encounter.

She knew that it came with being friends with the Autobots and forced herself to toughen up or get killed. The events of Belka proved that, even when she was in danger of being killed, she would rather face it head on than sit there and cry, hoping for someone to save her. Crying wasn’t going to make the world a better place. However, Megatron’s sneak attack on her earlier…that shook her. No, Annie wasn’t afraid of death, but it was seeing the people she cared about get hurt because of her that truly frightened her.

Annie had dreams of joining the military as a talos pilot for the Osea Mobile Armor Division. She wanted to be the best pilot in the army just like her dad. She’d rise through the ranks as a natural born badass, as someone people would look up to and call a legend, a pro, a hero; maybe she’d even go out in a blaze of glory protecting her comrades and innocent people. But just today, one of her friends got hurt protecting her from a cheap shot that she didn’t even see in time. Annie was grateful for Bulkhead’s rescue, but she was also irritated, as she didn’t want people risking their lives for her. It made her feel like she couldn’t take care of herself, made her feel weak. And there was nothing else in the world that she hated more than feeling helpless.

It was a feeling she spent too long trying to shake off after seeing her mother die, but the fact that all of this happened when she literally had an arsenal at her disposal made it worse. It felt like she would never escape that curse.

XXXXXX

After a sleepless night, Annie skipped breakfast with her siblings and took Grindor to ride to school alone, without waiting for Darren and High Wire. The duo rode in silence, with the serenity of the early Tuesday morning marred by grey clouds hanging overhead. Annie felt like nature itself was feeling pity for her by looking as gloomy as she felt.

“Annie,” Grindor said softly. “Are you feeling alright? You haven’t slept a wink last night.”

“I’m fine, Grindor.” Annie said curtly.

‘Yeah, she’s totally not fine.’ Grindor thought. Against his better judgment to leave well enough alone, he continued to pry. “Are you sure? You’re looking kinda pale-“

“I said I’m fine!” She snapped. Her outburst caused some bystanders to look at her and she glared back at them. “What the hell are you looking at? Beat it!”

Grindor stayed silent as he drove his friend to school, not wanting to incite her wrath further. She clearly wasn’t in the mood this morning, and he hoped that it didn’t get her into trouble at school.

Unfortunately for Annie, that fear came true. All morning Annie was wracked with a mind numbing headache that made it hard to focus in class. She felt like her head was going to explode like a cherry bomb. The pain only worsened her mood and she displayed an aura that made everything around her give the girl a wide berth, lest they awaken the beast that was notoriously known as the Abominable Annie.

“Annie!” Darren called out to her in between classes. “Annie, wait up!”

“Come on, Annie, don’t push us away!” Gina pleaded.

Annie stopped in the middle of the hallway, her pale skin contrasting with the skin tones of the other students who gave her space as she turned around to face her friends. “What the hell do you two want?”

Gina flinched a bit, not expecting such hostility from Annie. “We…just wanted to see what was up with you. Darren told me you were looking so good this morning.”

“Good to know our family affairs stay private.” Annie spat, glaring at her brother. “Don’t worry, bro, I’m fine. You don’t have to dote on me anymore.”

“Annie, you look like you got hit by Soundwave’s mental assaults. I’m pretty sure if someone blew a trumpet in your ear, you’d pass out.” Darren said.

“Not before I knock the asshole out.” Annie muttered. Darren sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders to make her look at him.

“Annie, we’re just worried about you. You’ve been acting strange and it’s making people concerned. Ratchet said Bulkhead will be alright, he just needs time to recover.”

Annie snorted and pushed his arms off her, turning her back on him. “If that’s what you think is wrong, then clearly you don’t know me as well as you think you do. Now leave me alone.”

She marched away from them and went to the girl’s bathroom. Walking over to the sink, she leaned over it, rubbing her head and groaning in discomfort. Annie washed her face with numbingly cold water to clear her head and soothe her emotions. She looked up at the mirror; even she couldn’t deny that she looked like crap, with bags under her eyes, her dark skin slightly pale, eyes bloodshot. Annie idly thought that she looked like she just watched someone die…right down to their last breath.

‘What’s going on with me? Why am I thinking these thoughts?’ Annie thought worriedly. She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. ‘I know Bulkhead’s hurt, but Darren did say that he was going to recover. So there should be no reason to be acting like this.’

 _‘But he almost died…’_ Her mind told her. _‘He almost got killed covering for your weaknesses…’_

Annie grumbled and ran her hands through her hair, further messing up her already unkept hair. Then she realized that the ring on her right hand was a bit warm. In fact, it felt like it was throbbing, like a festering wound. She ran her fingers over the magenta colored crystal rose and felt her headache slowly clearing away. The door opened and Annie saw the last person she wanted to run into leering at her from the doorway.

“What do you want, Mandy?” Annie spat at the girl she hated with all her being.

“Just taking a peek at the lioness in her cage…where she belongs.” Mandy Melbourne replied with a sickeningly sweet smile. Her voice had a nasally tone to it that drove Annie up the wall and had a “rich girl” quality to it you could spot a mile away.

Mandy was the daughter of an Army General who was one of the main supporters of the ERD, having funded its creation and expansion with his various contacts. She was a pretty girl born into money thanks to her mother’s clothing designer business, with long black hair neatly washed and straight, a fair complexion with dark blue eyes and full lips. But her beauty was only skin deep. Mandy was a grade-A bitch with a notable disdain for espers, something born from her father’s not-so discreet association with Friends of Humanity, the largest anti-esper organization in the country. The fact that Annie’s twin brother was an esper didn’t help her hatred for the rich bitch.

“I’d rather be a caged lion than a pig like you.” Annie shot back.

“You take that back, Annabelle!” One of Mandy’s mean girl friends/followers sneered.

Annie promptly gave the girl the finger. “Make me, bitch.”

“Look, Annie, I’m on a tight schedule, so could you kindly get out so we can do our business?” Mandy asked, though it was more of an order.

“Why should I do that? Just because you daddy’s a rich five-star racist doesn’t mean you can boss me around.” Annie said, crossing her arms.

“I just have better things to do than play games with you all day, Annabelle.” Mandy smirked at Annie’s twitching eyebrow. She knew how much that upstart hated that nickname. “So be a good girl and go back to that loser brother of yours, and let the straight girls go on with their day.”

Annie growled. “That’s it you little-“

“Is something the matter here?”

Penny appeared in the doorway, watching the conversation with narrowed eyes. Mandy scowled at Penny, one of the few high class girls who didn’t join the social crowed and had a wit to match her brain. Seeing that things would only get worse with Penny, Mandy decided to call it quits and turned her head up at Annie.

“Nothing’s wrong, Pincer. We were just leaving.” Mandy said and brushed her hair aside. “Come on girls, it’s getting crowded in here.”

Mandy and her troop pushed past Penny and left the bathroom. With the wicked witch gone, Penny turned to Annie.

“What was that all about?” She asked.

“Nothing, just Mandy being an asshole, as always.” Annie said, turning back to the mirror. “I had it under control.”

“You look like you were about to snuff her.”

“As I said, I had it under control.”

Penny frowned and walked up to Annie, placing a hand on her forehead. “You feeling okay there? You feel really warm.”

“It’s just a light headache. It’s getting better now, so no need to worry about me.” Annie doused her face with ice cold water again and grabbed her bag before leaving the bathroom. “See you later.”

Penny tried to stop her, but the girl was already gone. Annie didn’t want to have any more people pity her today. She just needed some peace and quiet for a few minutes.

And the ring continued to burn on her finger.

XXXXXX

After school, Annie and Grindor went to the Ark alone. Darren had a dentist appointment and Gina was helping her mother out at the dojo. Both girl and Minicon didn’t speak to each other for the rest of the day, and it was pretty clear to everyone on the ship that Annie had not gotten over what happened to Bulkhead. It was sad seeing the usually close and happy pair so quiet and detached from each other.

Annie headed to the command center and saw Prowl working on the computer, monitoring Teletran-1 for any energon alerts transferred from their satellite feed. She didn’t like talking to Prowl, and the feeling was mutual, but she wanted to know how Bulkhead was doing since Ratchet was hard at work. Quietly asking about his condition, the answer Prowl gave her was uplifting though not enough to get her hopes up.

“Bulkhead’s doing fine. Sometime in the CR chamber did his wounds some good and Ratchet’s working on gathering materials to repair his arm.” He told her, though his frown said otherwise. “However, his recovery will take longer than expected.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ratchet’s a great doctor, but Bulkhead still needs time in the CR chamber before he can be operated on to give him a new arm. And despite the solar power array we have on the Ark, our more energy consuming equipment won’t be working for much longer.”

“Which means the CR chambers are going to be offline for now?” Grindor asked.

Prowl was about to answer that when Teletran-1 gave an alert behind him. Prowl quickly called Optimus to the commander center as he checked the readings.

**“Alert! Alert! Energon signature detected!”**

“Again?” Arcee sighed. It was barely a day after that disaster of a mission and they were already heading out?

“It’s raw energon, all right.” Ironhide nodded, looking at the screen. “And it’s on the move.”

“The recent conflicts with the Decepticons show a familiar pattern.” Optimus said. “The Decepticons are frequently scouting new deposits with the same urgency as us. Ironhide, Arcee, to the ground bridge.”

“Prime,” Prowl stopped him. “If another one of you comes back wounded while our energon levels are at a critical low…”

Optimus nodded. “I understand, Prowl. Autobots, mobilize!”

Annie watched the Autobots run out of the room and sighed. It was sad to see these powerful aliens look so desperate. She constantly forgot that Terra was such a unique planet for having natural grown energon the cybertronians could consume. Still, even with all the energon this planet produced, there was only so much that could be found at a given time. Critical injuries and powering a ship as large as the Ark was difficult, solar arrays or not, and synthetic energon took too long to make with current resources. Between this and hunting for Minicons, time was short for everyone.

‘I wish I could do more than just be some glorified delivery girl.’ Annie thought. ‘I hate feeling helpless…”

_‘Then why don’t you do something about it?’_

XXXXXX

Optimus, Arcee, Ironhide and Wheeljack were in hot pursuit of Knockout and Barricade through a dark valley on the other side of the world in the Usean countryside. It was the middle of the night and the only source of light were their headlights, which barely helped with the poor visibility. Barricade had three energon cubes in his possession, two in his back seat and one strapped to his hood.

“Knockout, call for a ground bridge!” Barricade yelled. “These cubs are weighing me down!”

“In time, Barricade. The farther we make them chase us, the more fuel the Bots use up, and we win the energon race.” Knockout said smugly. His rear view mirror tilted upwards at the sky as three jets neared their position. “Besides, here comes air support.”

The Seekers flew over the valley in triangle formation, their jet engines roaring loudly as they soared overhead. In synch, they each fired their missiles at the canyon walls, blasting apart the rocks and causing a rocky avalanche that fell on the two teams. Knockout and Barricade mad it through, but the Autobots weren’t going to be so lucky and were forced to pull to a stop as their path was blocked. However, Arcee sped up, changing to bipedal mode and leaping off the boulders as they fell, using them to properly herself forward. Once she made it through the rock slide, she went back to vehicle mode and drove after the Cons. On the other side, Optimus and the others saw the Seekers fly over them in pursuit of Arcee.

“Arcee, fall back!” Optimus ordered. “You’re outnumbered!”

“No chance in hell!” Arcee said, pushing herself to her limits as she sped faster. “We need that energon!”

“Prowl, lock onto Arcee’s location and send a ground bridge to her.” Optimus said.

Arcee continued to chase after the Cons, ignoring Prowl’s orders to slow down for him to lock onto her for a ground bridge. She was not one to disobey direct orders from Prime, but she couldn’t afford to hold back now.

“I’m sorry, Prowl, but I’m not giving this up. Not when I’m so close!” She told him and switched her comm off.

“Don’t be a fool, Arcee! Fall back, that’s an order!” Prowl hissed. “Arcee!”

The Seekers locked onto Arcee and fired their laser guided missiles. Arcee swerved to avoid the projectiles as they hit all around her, but the explosions upset her balance and caused her to tip over. A missile exploded near her back wheels and sent her flying, crashing along the ground and reverting to bipedal mode as she rolled to a stop.

XXXXXX

Annie grimaced when she heard Prowl announce to Optimus that Arcee was hit, with three Cons converging on her position. At this rate, help wasn’t going to arrive in time for her.

 _‘You know what to do.’_ Her mind whispered. Annie touched her ring again, the crystal feeling warm and soothing to her touch. _‘You know what’s powerful enough to stop them. Call for it, and it shall come to you.’_

Annie nodded to herself and grabbed Grindor’s arm. “Come with me.”

What? Whoa!” Grindor almost fell over as Annie pulled him out of the room and down the hall. “Where are we going?”

“To get my Talos, what else?” Annie explained. “I’m saving Arcee, but I also need to get something first.”

When not using them, the kids stored their talos along with the Autobots’ weapons in the weapons locker. Annie led Grindor over to the room and to Enyo, then made her way to the back of the room where her real weapon was being held.

The legendary hammer, Mjolnir, was once the weapon of the mighty warrior Thor, which Annie inherited during her ill-fated mission to Belka with Bulkhead and Ironhide. After Wheeljack ran extensive tests on the hammer, he sent it to storage in the weapons locker, encased in an energy field on the wall. The tiny but extravagant hammer looked as pristine and strong as the day Annie brought it to the Ark. Wheeljack discovered that it absorbed all forms of electricity, including static electricity, at all times, which was exactly what it was doing now.

Annie remembered how she was able to control it, how it moved through the air like a bullet at her command. Mjolnir permitted only her to hold it, weighing more than 10 tons in the hands of anybody else, even the Autobots. Raising her hand, she mentally called to Mjolnir and smiled when she saw it shake in response to her calling. She clenched her hand into a fist and Mjolnir violently broke free of the energy field, shooting right into Annie’s hand.

She smiled as it fit snugly in her grip, energy surging from the handle into her arm and throughout her whole body. The ring started to tingle on her finger as she was energized for the coming battle and walked towards her talos.

Now she was ready to fight.

XXXXXX

Arcee coughed up dust as she sat up. That last missile strike left some burns on her legs where she was almost hit in her vehicle mode and she landed on her shoulder harder than she should’ve allowed. She looked up and saw the Seekers closing in on her, transforming and landed on the ground in a circle around her. Starscream smirked as he and his troops pointed their arm cannons at her.

“And so the great Arcee meets her end at my hands.” Starscream boasted, ignoring Thundercracker’s eye rolling. “When you meet your fellow Autobots in hell, tell them I said hi.”

Starscream charged up his cannon, but at that moment, a ground bridge opened up right behind him. Something small but fast shot out of the portal and hit the back of Starscream’s head, knocking him on his face. Arcee’s eyes widened when she saw that it was the hammer Mjolnir, floating in mid-air as the talos Enyo flew out of the ground bridge on a cloud of sol particles.

“A human?” Skywarp said surprised.

“No,” Annie smirked. “Your worst nightmare.”

Annie thrust her control sticks forward and sent her talos flying forward at high speeds, pushing her back into her seat as she called upon Mjolnir to move. The hammer turned direction and shot at Skywarp, hitting him in the knee. As he fell over, she rammed her shoulder into his chest and sent him crashing into the canyon wall while Starscream got to his feet.

“Kill her, kill her!” Starscream shouted. He and Thundercracker opened fire on her, but Enyo’s shoulder mounted beam cannons forced them to break apart when she shot back at them.

Gliding along the ground, Annie engaged the two Seekers in a game of chicken. Thundercracker boosted forward and tried to use his bayonet to cut her down, but she blocked the blade with her talos’ arms and punched him in the chest, shattering the glass hatch over his cockpit and punching him in the face as well. Starscream charged at her from behind, but Mjolnir slammed into the back of his knee, sending him falling face first into her uppercut, smashing him to the ground.

“Didn’t you learn from last time not to try that on me?” Annie taunted. Skywarp teleported behind her to shoot her in the back, but she spun around and fired her beam cannon into his chest, blasting him away. “Apparently you didn’t.”

Arcee watched from the sidelines as Annie completely dominated the Seekers. She piloted her talos in battle much more fluidly than before, and the power of her hammer was astounding. The Seekers were hit from all sides by that tiny hammer that packed a bigger punch than they thought and Enyo’s heavy weapons were hard to fight against as well.

Starscream growled as his head was ringing from getting hit by Mjolnir. “It shouldn’t be this hard to kill a human child!”

“You’d be surprised.” Annie grinned viciously.

“Do you know who I am, little girl?” Starscream brought out both bayonets from his arms. “I’ve killed thousands of Autobots stronger than you.”

“Big talk from Megatron’s personal punching bag.” Annie said and called Mjolnir back to her talos’ hand. “Compared to Megatron and Nightshade, you’re nothing special.”

Starscream growled and boosted forward. Annie sidestepped him, but Starscream grabbed Enyo’s head and lifted her into the air to throw her to the ground. Annie cursed and fired her beam cannons, but he dodged and tried to stab her cockpit. She flew back and swung a large fist into Starscream’s face, rattling his head and sent him spinning around. Another punch to the face laid him flat out cold, collapsing to the ground with a severely damaged face leaking energon. Like the goddess of war it was named after, Enyo stood over the fallen Seeker triumphantly.

“What was that about your score card?” Annie smirked.

There was a flash of light behind her and Skywarp appeared with his cannons raised. Annie quickly spun around and fired her beam cannons, chasing him off.

“Did you really think you had me there?” Skywarp laughed. “You got a lot to learn about warfare, kid.”

“You’re not one to talk after I kicked your team’s asses. Now shut up and take a nap!”

Mjolnir came down on Skywarp from above, slamming onto the top of his head and violently electrocuting him on contact. His screams became garbled electronic noise as hundreds of volts of electricity surged through his overloaded systems and he crumpled to the ground.

“Whoa.” Arcee breathed.

Optimus and the others finally made it over the pile of rocks and ran over to their friends. They were ready to help Arcee fight off the Cons, but instead they were greeted with the odd sight of Enyo standing over the unconscious and badly beaten bodies of the Seekers. Ironhide, after a moment of silence, was the first to voice the question on the tip of everyone’s tongues.

“What the hell happened here?”

XXXXXX

Prowl and Grindor stood by the ground bridge in the shuttle bay as the Autobots returned with Annie. The tactician had just gotten done reprimanding Grindor for not just letting Annie go out into the field alone, but also for using the ground bridge without authorization. He was already planning on how he was going to scold Annie as well, but he was more curious about how the battle went.

“What happened?” Prowl asked.

“We only saw the gory aftermath, but apparently little Annie here beat the living slag out of Starscream and his goons.” Ironhide said.

“She was amazing, the way she moved in her Talos and took them all down so quickly, it was just unreal.” Arcee praised, smiling at Annie. “How were you able to take them down like that? Even with the Enyo’s firepower, it shouldn’t have been that easy.”

Annie climbed out of her cockpit and smiled up at the Autobots. “It was all thanks to this.” She held up Mjolnir, its flawless gold shining in the Ark’s lights. “Lit them up like the fourth of July.”

“But I thought the hammer was put in storage in the munitions plant,” Wheeljack said. “How did you get it?”

“That’s what I would like to know as well.” Prowl crossed his arms, giving her his usual frown.

“All I did was call to it, and it came. I’m its master now, and it answers only to me.” She said proudly. “A stasis field isn’t gonna stop a hammer that absorbs electricity.”

“I knew we should’ve put it in a vault.” Ironhide grumbled.

“This hammer’s mine! I took what rightfully belonged to me.” Annie scowled. “It’s not like you guys were using it.”

“Annie, you must understand that acting rashly in this war is dangerous and could get you killed.” Optimus scolded her. There was already a target painted on Gina’s head for killing Lugnut, the last thing he wanted was the Cons deeming the children as enemies and to be killed on sight. They were already too involved as it is. “Fighting three Seekers alone without support was reckless.”

“Optimus, I know Annie shouldn’t have been out there, but don’t blame her. She was amazing out there and she saved my life today.” Arcee said. She was impressed with Annie tonight, and she wasn’t going to let anyone spoil her victory. “Please, just let her off, just this once.”

Optimus didn’t look pleased at letting Annie off the hook, but knew she was right. She saved one of his Autobot’s lives and he was thankful for that. “Very well, I will let you off with a warning, Annie. Just think before you act next time, will you?”

“Don’t worry, Optimus. I’ll look before I leap.” Annie smiled, swinging Mjolnir onto her shoulder.

“And we’re going to have a nice, long talk about following orders, Arcee.” Prowl said pointedly at Arcee.

The pink Autobot sighed. “Yippie.”

Ratchet entered the room with a smile on his face, a stark contrast to his grim mood lately. “Annie, there’s someone who wants to talk to you.”

XXXXXX

“Bulkhead!” Annie cheered as she ran into the medibay after parking her talos in the weapons storage plant.

“Hey, Annie.” Bulkhead waved her over with his one hand.

The former Wrecker was lying down on a recharge slab with Longarm looking his stump over with scanning tools for any abnormalities. Ratchet scooped Annie up and carried her over to Bulkhead with Optimus following behind. The doctor deposited her next to Bulkhead and she hugged his side.

“I’m so happy you’re alright!” Annie smiled. “I was so worried like you wouldn’t believe!”

“I have the best doctor in the Autobot army here, I was in good hands. I’m alright now, just not in one piece.” Bulkhead said. “It’ll take more than a missing arm to keep me down!”

“Stop moving, Bulkhead, before I rupture a fuel line by accident.” Longarm warned him.

Annie explained in great detail what she just did, performing animated movements as she told him of her overwhelming victory over the Seekers.

“You should’ve seen me, Bulk!” Annie swung her hammer around, spinning and nearly falling over. “I saved Arcee and took out those three stooges with nothing but my talos and my trusty hammer. This thing is wicked!”

“I know, I saw it in action back in Belka.” Bulkhead said. “But how did you-“

“She stole it from the containment cell.” Ratchet said. “How, I don’t know. At this point, nothing surprises me anymore.”

“It’s a weapon forged for a god by a god.” Annie twirled Mjolnir around her finger. “Don’t diss my divine swagger.”

“Annie, that hammer is not a toy. It’s a powerful weapon we still know little about.” Optimus told her. “It’s too strong for you to handle recklessly.”

Annie tightened her grip on the hammer possessively, not wanting to give it up. The crystal ring began to heat up again. “Don’t even think about taking it from me again! This hammer is mine. I’m the only one who can hold it!”

Ratchet sighed. “Annie…”

“Come on, just let her keep the hammer.” Bulkhead said. When the others looked at her with differing levels of surprise and disapproval (mostly from Ratchet) he explained himself. “Look, she’s a smart girl. I’m sure she knows better than to swing it around and cause thunderstorms everywhere. She’s not that reckless, right Annie?”

“Yes,” Annie nodded and held her right hand up. “I promise to never abuse the power of this hammer to control the forces of nature or smash someone’s skull in without good reason.”

“That’s totally reassuring.” Longarm muttered. Annie kicked him in the back and nearly sent him over the edge. “Hey!”

“Be nice.” Ratchet scolded them.

Optimus glanced at Bulkhead, silently telling him that anything that happened to Annie was his responsibility. Bulkhead returned his gaze and nodded, showing that he understood completely.

“Annie, you may keep the hammer,” He said, earning a cheer from her. “On the condition that you do not take it outside the Ark save for missions.”

“I totally understand Optimus, thank you!” She squealed and hugged Mjolnir tightly.

_‘You see now? Show them just a little power and they will respect you more. Show them that you are just as strong as they are and they will let you fight among them. People only listen to those with power, Annie, and they’ll follow a powerful warrior like a pack to an alpha. And you are the alpha.”_

‘Yeah, I’m strong now. I’m not that helpless little girl that had to watch her friends get her because she was weak.’ Annie smiled, tightening her grip on Mjolnir. ‘I doubt even Megatron to take me on now.’

Annie was so caught up in her power trip that she didn’t realize that the voice in her head was not her own.

XXXXXX

Darren noticed a change in Annie over the next few days. Seeing Bulkhead in better condition had lightened her spirits, and it also made her a bit more active. Being able to wield Mjolnir had empowered her, made her feel like someone who could take on the world, and that should’ve set Darren’s mind at ease. It didn’t; if anything, it made him more worried.

Being her twin, Darren knew things about Annie that not many knew. He could spot certain mannerisms, guess what she was thinking sometimes, and discern her temperament so as to avoid her on bad days and such. As such, he was able to spot certain changes in his sister.

No longer was she the excitable and loud girl she was a few days ago. Now she was something else, something darker, like a venomous snake with an unassuming appearance. She was quieter now, but still had that underlying aggressiveness just under the surface, waiting to explode should someone challenge her. In a way, it made her kind of scary…and Darren didn’t like being scared of his sister.

When she was at school, she was off on her own practicing with Mjolnir, testing out its powers to see what she could do with them. indeed, she had become more skilled at using the hammer, not just to make it fly, but also summon large amounts of electricity and generating small shocks and discharges to create steady energy fields. Darren asked her once how she was able to do all this stuff, and she just explained that the hammer does what she thinks it should do. Her attacks were more precise, and watching her train was like watching a storm rumbling overhead; silent, but always hovering over you, waiting to explode.

If it wasn’t that, she was taking martial arts lessons from Gina’s mother, Julia. Annie was a dedicated student who learned a lot of her fighting skills from Julia even before meeting the Autobots, but now she was pushing herself with an intensity that made even a war veteran like Julia pause. The martial arts master was always happy to see her students do well in everything, but seeing her daughter’s friend act like she was training to kill someone was a bit unsettling. And she wasn’t the only one.

One day, while watching Annie train with Julia at the dojo, Darren, Gina and Sara sat on the side throwing around theories as to the reason behind Annie’s personality change.

“Are you sure that nothing major had happened at your place?” Gina asked.

“Not that I know of,” He replied and groaned. “I mean, aside from almost getting killed by Megatron, there hasn’t been anything to make her act this way. I’m getting a bit scared, Gina, she isn’t usually like this.”

Gina patted Darren’s back to comfort him. “It’s probably just the shock of it all. Near death experiences are life changing, especially when they happen so suddenly like that. Maybe it’s just a phase.”

“Well, if it’s a phase, then I hope she grows out of it soon,” Darren said, watching his sister perform some katas under Julia’s supervision. “Because I don’t like this new Annie.”

Sara just sat in silence watching Annie do her exercises with Julia out on the mats, taking the time to study Gina’s mother closely. Julia was a beautiful woman in her forties who looked as strong as she was. She didn’t share many features with her daughter, sporting long red hair and a strong physique gained from years of harsh training despite giving birth to a child. If one looked closely, you could see faint, pinkish scars along her arms and collarbone; leftovers from her time serving in the Osean Special Forces as a soldier, and later combat instructor.

As the humans put it, she is strong in mind and body, just like her daughter.’ Sara thought. She wondered what Gina’s father, Theodore Harkins, was like. Gina spoke fondly of him, but to the android’s knowledge, Theo had gone on an excavation to someplace in Belka, and hasn’t been heard from since. Oddly enough, Sara found herself hoping nothing bad had happened to the professor, knowing how it would affect Gina. ‘Is this what empathy feels like?’

“Sara?” Gina gently shook the android’s shoulder to get her attention. “Are you alright? I’ve been trying to get your attention for a minute.”

“I am fine. I was just…thinking.” Sara said. “Is something the matter?”

“We were talking about Annie’s strange behavior. Did you notice anything that might’ve caused this change in her?” Darren asked.

Sara thought about it for a minute, but couldn’t think of anything unusual. But there was one thing that could’ve been a possible cause…

“I have not noticed anything out of the ordinary,” She told them. “But my past observations have shown that Annie did not start acting like this until she acquired that ring from Penelope Pincer.”

“Ring? What ring?” Gina asked.

“She’s talking about that ring Annie got from Penny’s gold digging during that last retrieval mission.” Darren said. “The treasure that she swiped from the golden asp. It was a crystal rose that was wrapped around the stasis panel when Penny found it.”

Gina furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Sara intensely. “Sara, are you sure that Annie’s behavior started with that ring?”

“Yes, I am 98.5% positive of that.” Sara confirmed. Gina gave Darren a worried glance.

“Is it possible?”

“I don’t know, but I’m not going to just overlook something like that because of logic.” He said, looking over at Annie. She was doing windmill kicks now, and he couldn’t help but wince at how strong each kick looked. “It’s something worth investigating.”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to try to take her ring. That’s going to cause a lot of problems for both of you.” Gina frowned, knowing how volatile Annie was these days.

“No, I’ll wait until she gets back from her mission with the Autobots. This is a family affair that needs to be done behind closed doors.”

Gina didn’t like the sound of that. Sibling squabbles were bad enough, but spats between the twins were even worse, especially when said twins were armed with esper powers and superweapons. She hoped that they didn’t get into a fight because of this. Things were tense enough as it is.

XXXXXX

Annie felt her stomach lurch a bit as she made her talos jump over a boulder while running down a rocky hill. She heard the Autobots following after her, but she paid them no mind. So long as they stayed out of her way, she would keep her mouth shut and follow Prime’s lead. Mjolnir sat in a special holster compartment she had Wheeljack make for her, where it could slide in and out with ease. Once she was close enough to her destination, she stopped hard and hid behind a boulder. The Autobots did the same not too far from her.

The team was investigating another energon signal in one of Coronado’s deep canyons. At this location, the Cons were already at the site, with two driller machines digging into the side of a rocky slope. The drillers were being operated by the Minicon Cannon and Knockout’s assistant, Scalpel. Blackout, Barricade, and Knockout were also there acting as sentries.

“The Cons may have found a vein, but its giving off a weak pulse.” Wheeljack sighed. “Whatever they found, it’s barely enough to hold even the Minicons for a day.”

“At least the Cons are as desperate to find energon as we are.” Arcee commented.

“Do you guys always talk this much on missions?” Annie hissed. Mentally activating Mjolnir, she charged up electricity in the hammer and stepped forward. “I’m going in.”

Before anyone could stop her, Annie fired a lightning bolt down at one of the unmanned drillers, blowing it up. The Cons, caught off guard, were scattered by Annie’s beam cannon blasts that hit the rocky wall.

“We’ve got Autobots!” Barricade yelled, firing his blaster at the charging Autobots. Blackout transformed to his helicopter mode and flew up, shooting his laser cannons at the Autobots from above.

Annie leapt into the air, flying right at Blackout and smashing his tail rotor with a solid punch he was unable to avoid. He went spiraling to the ground, almost hitting Knockout in his descent as he slammed into the hard earth below. Optimus led the charge downhill, leaping at Blackout as he transformed and punching him in the face. Arcee, Prowl and Wheeljack attacked Barricade and Knockout with their weapons, igniting a firefight.

“Annie, what part of hang back was so hard to understand?” Prowl growled as he kicked Barricade in the face.

“Please, Prowl, we’re not fighting soldiers here,” Annie said, slamming a large fist into Knockout’s face. “We’re fighting cannon fodder.”

Cannon and Scalpel took cover behind the driller they were operating as the fighting became more intense. When a laser bolt hit the ground next to them, Scalpel had enough of having some “fresh air” as Knockout put it.

“Ve must leave now!” Scalpel said in his sharp voice.

“We’re in the middle of a battle you coward!” Cannon growled. “Decepticons don’t run.”

Scalpel angrily stabbed his two front legs into Cannon’s shoulder and glared into his visor. “You vill do as I say or I vill tear out your T-cog and make you eat it!” He snarled. “Now move!”

Cannon gritted his teeth and started to climb the canyon wall, with Scalpel hopping onto his back like a demented living backpack. As the Mini-Cons climbed up to the top, Annie caught sight of them from her vantage point where she was holding Knockout off.

‘More lambs to slaughter.’ She grinned.

Cannon and Scalpel reached the top of the canyon and were running away from the battle, not caring about their larger comrades getting their afts kicked by the Autobots. The Enyo slowly rose up above the cliff and spotted their tiny forms on the ground. As if she were simply flipping a switch, Annie fired Mjolnir from her talos’ wrist into the air and watched it fall back down like a meteor. It hit the ground near Scalpel and Cannon with explosive force and blasted both Cons off their feet, pelting them with debris. She glided over to them and settled Enyo on its feet, opening the cockpit hatch and climbing to the ground.

“And where do you two think you’re going?” Annie asked, casually strolling up to them. She called Mjolnir back to her hand and planted her foot on Cannon’s chest, keeping him on his chest. “I don’t recall saying you could run from me.”

“Get slagged you filthy ape!” Cannon spat.

“Filthy ape, that’s a new one.” She remarked. “Usually it’s insect of squishy, or just the unoriginal vermin. But no one’s ever called me an ape before. At least,” Her voice took on a hard edge. “Not to my face.”

“Here’s another one. Eat this Autobitch!” Cannon looked in Scalpel’s direction. “Now!”

Scalpel lunged at Annie from behind with his needle like legs pointed in her direction, poised to skewer her like a fish on a spear. But he wasn’t expecting for her to quickly dodge him at such a close distance, nor was he expecting her to grab his head. With strength he knew she didn’t have before, Annie slammed him into the ground and spun around, smacking Cannon in the face with Mjolnir when he tried to come at her. Energon bled from his mouth as he fell on his back again.

“Now you bozos are going to tell me what I want to know,” Annie hissed as she pointed Mjolnir at them. “Where is Megatron?”

“G-get fragged.” Cannon wheezed through broken teeth, spitting energon at her. All the mirth vanished from Annie’s face instantly and she leaned back.

“All right,” She muttered and raised Mjolnir above her head. “Let’s do this the fun way.”

XXXXXX

Back in the canyon, the battle was already over. The Autobots’ surprise attack had taken the Decepticons by surprise and they were forced to abandon their operation. As satisfying as seeing the Cons run home with their tail between their legs was, it didn’t feel as gratifying as it usually did.

“That was short and sweet.” Prowl sighed and turned to Wheeljack. “So what’s the verdict, Wheeljack? Did we hit pay dirt?”

“No, we’re broke.” Wheeljack shook his head. He did some scans on the vein the Cons found and groaned. “There isn’t any more here to dig up. This is it.”

Arcee huffed and kicked one of the drillers. “At least we have one of the drillers to take back home.”

“YEEEAAARRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!”

A horrifying scream echoed throughout the canyon, putting the Autobots on alert again. Then Optimus noticed that their human powerhouse was not with them.

“Annie!” Optimus and his Autobots wasted no time in climbing the canyon wall to where Annie’s position was located. As they made it to the top, they came upon a horrifying sight.

Scalpel, the Decepticon scientist, lay in pieces on the ground, torn limb from limb with his parts scattered across the area with dried energon splattered across the rocks. His head lied at Annie’s feet, his large, round eyes dark and lifeless. His last expression was one of open defiance, his last act before Annie tore him apart.

As for Cannon, he was still alive, but he was only marginally in better shape than Scalpel. His arms were ripped clean from his torso, and his legs were mangled. His chest was caved in and twitching violently. Annie stood over him, delivering strong electrical jolts into his body with Mjolnir. Miraculously, he was still alive and conscious, but just barely.

“T-that’s all I know,” He cried, his voice sounding like he was suffocating. “P-please, stop…”

“Now was that so hard?” Annie smiled, her eyes glinting with madness. “As compensation for your help, you get to escape your pain. I’m sure your god will be more accommodating to you than I was.”

She raised her hammer in the air, about to bring it down on his head, when Prowl’s voice stopped her.

“Annie!” He yelled, running over to her with the other Bots. “What the hell are you doing?”

She growled and glared up at him. “Getting results, what do you think I’m doing?”

“Annie, if you want to fight alongside us, then you must adhere to our rules,” Optimus said, his gaze hard as he lectured her. “Torture and murder are now how we operate in the field. Autobots do not inflict harm unless all other options are exhausted. It is what separates us from the Decepticons.”

“Oh please, is this really the time for another noble speech Optimus?” Annie sneered, her expression taking on a vicious visage. “You didn’t happen to learn the location of Megatron’s current location, did you? Well I did! And you happen to know where there’s a stockpile of raw energon ripe for the taking? I do!”

“Come on, Annie. Calm down.” Arcee tried to approach the girl, but she was rebuffed hard.

“Calm? Calm is the last thing we need! Calm is what’s prolonging this damn war of yours!” She snarled at them. “The Cons have you all running in circles, chasing after their crumbs, when what we really need to do is hit them hard and fast right where it hurts!”

“A direct assault on the Decepticons is too risky, Annie, and will provoke fierce retaliation.” Optimus said. “I will not endanger innocent human lives in a battle that didn’t need to be fought.”

“But you have no problem endangering mine, or Darren, or Gina! Or your fellow Autobots either, just ask Bulkhead. Oh wait, he’s still recovering from a blow dealt by your biggest mistake!”

“That is enough Annie!” Prowl shouted, moving to stand above her to cow her into submission. “You are out of line.”

“You’re one to talk. I can imagine that you have enough skeletons in your closet to fill a graveyard! Heaven knows how much shit you’ve done that Prime’s turns the other cheek to.” She said and gave Optimus a glare so full of scorn that he thought he was staring into Nightshade’s eyes. “You know, Prime. For a big, strong bot, you’re soft. I bet you’ve had plenty of chances to kill Megatron and you took none of them. How many of your soldiers died because you couldn’t work up the nerve to be a warrior!”

Everyone was silent at the harsh lashing Annie gave Optimus. No one spoke to him like that, even when they were angry with him. Even Prowl, who was usually critical of Prime’s decisions, was speechless at how this conversation went and looked at Optimus to see how he would react. The Prime didn’t look visible upset, but when he spoke, his voice held a hard edge to it that made even Prowl shiver a bit.

“Annie, you are returning to the Ark, where you will remain for the time being.” Optimus said. It wasn’t a request, it was an order. “You are not working with a clear mind for sound judgment.”

Annie stared at him, then at the other Autobots. She saw their judging stares, along with the pity and apprehension that only made her angrier. She felt the ring get hotter, like it was being held over a fire. Annie took a deep, shaky breath.

“Fine.” She said. Annie walked back to her talos and climbed back into the cockpit. She closed the hatch and had it stand up, making sure to stomp over Scalpel’s remains.

“Teletran, we need a ground bridge.” Prowl requested.

The ground bridge appeared before them and the Autobots let Annie walk through first, disappearing into the portal. Wheeljack sighed, glad that the drama was over, and walked towards the ground bridge, only to be rammed into by the Enyo and sent crashing into Optimus. The Enyo lifted into the air and flew away on a cloud of sol particles before the Autobots could stop her.

“Annie!” Arcee exclaimed.

XXXXXX

Ratchet was surprised at how fast Prime’s team ran into the command center with looks of urgency and concern on their faces. Darren and Gina also noticed that Annie wasn’t with them.

“What happened?” Ratchet asked. “Did something happen?”

“Where’s Annie?” Darren asked.

“Annie just killed one of the Cons and bailed on us to go after Megatron.” Arcee said.

Darren felt his heart stop. “She did what?”

“Ratchet, have Teletran track Annie’s position.” Optimus ordered, but the doctor was already working on it before Prime even finished his sentence.

“I…I can’t locate her talos’ signal!” Ratchet exclaimed.

“The sol particles the Apollo drive generates negate most forms of radar waves. She’s invisible to long range detection systems.” Sara explained.

“Do you have a way to track her, Sara.” Darren asked. “Please, Annie could be in great danger.”

Sara paused for a moment at the fear in Darren’s eyes, but she recovered and said, “Y-Yes, I can. I can alter the computer to track the emission of sol particles, but it will take some time.”

She jumped onto the terminal and extended a cord from the back of her neck to plug herself into the console. An onslaught of information flooded her cybernetic brain, but she held strong and focused.

“When Sara pinpoints Annie’s location, we must be ready to mobilize at once. Ratchet, have any Autobots not on a mission head to the ground bridge on standby.” Optimus said and turned to Darren and Gina. “That includes you as well. You two are the fastest on this team aside from Skyfire and can reach her faster.”

“You can count on us, Optimus.” Gina said, placing a hand on Darren’s shoulder. “Come on, Darren, we need to get to our talos.”

Darren nodded and followed her out of the room, praying that Annie wasn’t hurt. ‘Please don’t let anything happen to her.’

XXXXXX

The designated C-32 energon mine was probably the largest mine found yet on the planet. Starscream stumbled on this location in the middle of a mountain range in northwest Osea with Blackout. The amount of raw energon there was are enough to keep them satiated for months in advance, and they still had yet to completely excavate all the energon. But on a long term scale, if they didn’t find another mine like this soon, they would be right back to square one.

Megatron had most of the Decepticons harvesting the energon crystals in hollowed out tunnels with automated drillers doing the heavy lifting. Nightshade and Starscream were scouting for energon mines in Emmeria and the Minicons were at the Island keeping an eye on things. Everyone was hard at work today, and Megatron was not going to have it any other way.

“Come on, Barricade.” Skywarp pleaded. “Just do me a solid.”

“No,” Barricade growled, at his wits end with Skywarp’s constant whining. “I have better things to do than play games with you.”

“It’s not a game, it’s a test. This is a matter of honor, Barricade!” Skywarp insisted. “I’m not going to let Knockout’s comment slide like that, and I want to prove to him that I’m faster than you without my powers!”

“It’s your fault for being dumb enough to be goaded by Knockout in the first place.” Barricade said. He noticed someone walking towards them. “Hmm?”

A large shadow stood in the entrance to the cave, and all they could see were a pair of glowing red eyes before they were hit with a bright flash of light.

Meanwhile, Megatron was grilling Knockout on lack of progress following his recent retreat from the Autobots. They had to be on top of locating new energon deposits, but so far, Knockout wasn’t doing very well in that regard.

“You call yourself a scientist?” Megatron growled at Knockout. “You were supposed to have located a fresh energon source by now!”

“M-My apologies, Lord Megatron,” Knockout stammered, backing up a bit. “We’ve ran into a few complications involving the Autobots’ new heavy hitter.”

“Oh?” Megatron raised an optic ridge at that. “And who might that be?”

His answer came in the form of a beaten and badly burned Barricade, who was thrown to the ground at his feet. Megatron and Knockout looked up to see Enyo standing in the shadows, dragging Skywarp’s motionless body behind him. Mjolnir crackled with energy in its sheath.

“This is what you’re afraid of?” Megatron said scathingly. “It’s merely Prime’s human pet.”

“No, Megatron,” Annie hissed, dropping Skywarp’s body. “I’m your executioner!”

She boosted forward and slammed her talos’ fist into Megatron’s face. Mjolnir discharged a burst of electricity around Enyo’s hand, putting more power into the punch. Megatron actually flew back into the tunnel wall, much to Knockout’s shock. Megatron glared at her and rubbed his jaw, glancing down to see that his lip was bleeding. He also felt a little jolt from the electrified punch, but it wasn’t too serious.

“Well then…” Megatron said and stood up. Annie thought he was going to fire his fusion cannon, but to her surprise, he popped it off his arm and let it fall to the ground. He raised his fists and got into a fighting stance. “We’ll do this the old fashioned way.”

Megatron lunged forward and attacked with an uppercut with astounding speed. Annie barely dodged the uppercut and moved Enyo’s leg to kick him in the chest. Megatron grunted and skidded back a bit, but held his ground and tried to grab her. She glided back and tried to hit him with Mjolnir again, but the Decepticon leader avoided most of her punches, batting away Enyo’s fists like he was play fighting with a toddler. Annie quickly got annoyed with how he was treating this, wanting him to get serious.

“Stop running and fight like a man!” She shouted at him.

Megatron smirked. It never occurred to her that he wasn’t running, but instead he was just getting her to use up her energy in trying to hit him so that she’d be easy prey for him later. To think that her species were the most intelligent beings on this planet. “I am no man, human. I am Megatron!”

Megatron leapt up and spin kicked Enyo in the side, rattling Annie in the cockpit as her talos crashed into the side of the tunnel. Seeing Megatron charging at her, she instinctively fired one of her beam cannons, hitting Megatron in the chest and blasting him back. She rushed forward and slammed into him, using her talos’ weight to pin him to the ground.

“Die!” Annie reared back for a punch and brought her fist down as hard as she could, but Megatron caught Enyo’s fist and punched it in the chest, once again violently rattling the cockpit and kicking the talos off him. “Shit!”

Annie tried to regain her balance, but was caught off guard when she saw Megatron’s fist shooting at her. Stomping on the left pedal to go in reverse, she barely avoided the uppercut that nearly took her mecha’s head off, but she tripped and fell onto her side. Now Annie was starting to panic, jerking her control sticks to bring herself back up…only to see Megatron’s red eyes staring at her through the monitor.

She screamed and her talos fell back as Megatron let out a thunderous roar and threw a punch at her. Pressing down hard on the foot pedals, Annie was able to get her talos to dodge the punch and jump back to her feet. The punch itself was so strong that Annie swore she saw the air shift from the sheer force put into it.

For the next few minutes, Annie was forced on the defensive as Megatron came at her with a barrage of lightning fast punches that she could barely see, let alone dodge. Her eyes hurt, her arms burned from the strain of moving her heavy talos and her heart was beating a mile a minute. When Megatron pulled his arm back for another punch, Annie threw her arm forward and slammed Enyo’s fist into his jaw, nearly dislocating it. But instead of staggering him, Megatron recovered and turned his body into hers, teeth grinding along Enyo’s forearm as he swung his fist into Enyo’s chest. Annie was just fast enough to move her mecha’s right arm to protect the cockpit as the large fist hit Enyo like a wrecking ball.

His blow sent the Enyo flying back nearly twenty feet before it crashed against the wall again. Megatron spat out a glob of energon and charged at her. Annie managed to get her talos out of the way just as Megatron tried to knee her in the sensory head, shattering a chunk of the stone wall instead. She ran a good distance away from him and spun around to fight him once more. Inside the cockpit, Annie’s hands were shaking uncontrollably, her breaths short and labored, sweat pouring down her face. Annie knew that she was in for a difficult fight, but this was…impossible!

Megatron slowly turned to face her, energon bleeding from his mouth. Her punch had knocked out some of his teeth, but he paid it no mind as his red eyes glared heatedly at her. Annie swallowed her fear and pulled off her suffocating helmet to get some fresh air. She willed Mjolnir to start charging up another lightning bolt. One that she was sure was going to drop the Decepticon warlord for good. Then she saw Megatron smirk.

“What’s so funny?” She demanded.

“Stupid girl,” Megatron said. “You should know better than to fight an enemy alone.”

This pause in the fight was her downfall. A powerful kick from the spymaster Soundwave took Enyo’s head clean off its shoulders, knocking the talos over. Soundwave kicked it again in the back and slammed the talos to the ground. Annie was knocked forward and hit her head on the control panel, cutting her forehead open.

Megatron and Soundwave stood over the robot. Soundwave inquired Megatron about his wounds, but he waved him off, more interested in the hammer the talos used to attack him. This was definitely not cybertronian technology, and it wasn’t of human origin either. Perhaps some further study was required to uncover its origins.

“Soundwave, we’re returning to the Nemesis to get this treated.” Megatron rubbed his bleeding jaw and looked at Knockout. “Knockout, you have your test subject. See what makes this machine, and its pilot, tick.”

Knockout grinned. “With please, my lord.”

XXXXXX

At the same time the battle between Annie and Megatron ended, an alert popped up on Teletran-1’s screen. Sara’s eyes lit up and she said, “I’ve found her! Sending her coordinates now!”

“Thank you, Sara. Teletran, activate the ground bridge!” Optimus turned to his assembled team and said, “Autobots, transform and roll out!”

The Autobots, Darren and Gina entered the portal at full speed. After a few seconds they emerged inside a large cavern full of energon crystals. Already the Autobots and fighting the Decepticons and laser blasts flew everywhere, hitting some exposed crystals and causing them to explode. Darren forced a shield around himself and Gina as he looked for Annie.

“Darren, I’ve found Annie’s location!” Gina said.

“Then let’s go!”

XXXXXX

Annie jerked her controls, trying to move her talos, but her Enyo wasn’t responding. “Come on, move damn you!”

Blood ran into her eye, making it sting and angering her further. Without her head, she was blind and the damage she suffered from the surprise attack left her defenseless. She didn’t have time to wait for the secondary cameras to start up. She needed to act now before Knockout had her on his dissection table.

“That was a reckless thing to do, little girl.” Knockout remarked as he knelt down over the fallen talos. “Word to the wise, unless your name is Optimus Prime, don’t take Megatron on alone. Stronger people have tried and got slagged.”

“But they weren’t me!” Annie pulled hard on the emergency lever next to her seat and the cockpit hatch popped open. Annie jumped out and rolled onto the ground while calling Mjolnir to her. The hammer flew into her grip and she fired a bolt into Knockout’s chest, making him jump back in pain.

“That hurt you little brat!” He growled. Glancing down at the black scorch mark on his chest, he gasped in horror. “My armor! I just had that polished! I’ll tear out your innards for that!”

Knockout changed his right arm into a saw and was about to attack when two more talos flew into the cave. The Prometheus landed in front of Annie and Darren summoned the boulders around Knockout to slam into him. Knockout tried to attack, but Gina rushed in and began shooting at him with her beam pistols, blasting off chunks of his armor with each blast. Stumbling back, he figured one girl wasn’t worth getting his entire paint scheme ripped apart and transformed to vehicle mode before racing back down the tunnel.

With the threat gone, Darren hopped out of his cockpit and ran over to his sister. Gasping at the head wound she got, he went to check on her injury, but had his hands smacked aside.

“Don’t touch me!” She yelled.

“Annie, are you okay?” Centurion jumped off Athena’s shoulder and ran up to her with Gina.

“Do I look okay? I got my ass handed to me by not just Megatron, but also Soundwave, and now my fucking talos is trashed!” Annie kicked Enyo’s leg. “I could’ve had that bastard if Soundwave hadn’t blindsided me.”

“You shouldn’t have been here in the first place. You could’ve been killed, Annie!” Gina said. Annie ignored her and tried to walk away, but Gina stepped in front of her. “Don’t walk away, Annie. You’re not running away from this…from us.”

“I never run. Not from you, or anything this world can throw at me.” Annie said. “You guys came here to save me, and you did. Now leave me alone and let me wallow in my self-pity.”

The fight had left her voice at that moment and Darren could see the exhaustion setting in. She pushed past Gina and walked back to her talos, not even sparing the Autobots a glance as she walked past them.

XXXXXX

If there was one thing Bulkhead hated more than Scraplets, it was being kept out of the loop. He spent almost a week in the med bay having Ratchet and Longarm work on his regenerating arm. They kept him confined to his recharge slab until both the arm and his armor had grown back and was fully functional once the new limb had acclimated to his body.

Constructing an arm from scratch was a hard process, as the medic had to get every joint, every servo, in place or else it wouldn’t grow back right. Hence why reconstruction surgery was best left to professionals, and Ratchet was the best of his, or any, generation. He was glad that he was finally able to walk around again, but that relief changed to worry when Ratchet told him about Annie’s misadventure involving Megatron.

“I can’t believe she did that.” Bulkhead muttered as Ratchet checked his arm over. “I’m all for slagging buckethead, but I would never fight him alone.”

“Well Annie seems to have taken a leave of her senses lately.” Ratchet said. He had Bulkhead make a fist and checked his arm’s motor functions. “Even Optimus is at his wits end with her.”

“At least we secured an entire energon mine.” Longarm added. “We’ve got an entire stockpile of energon left behind by the Cons after we swooped in and chased them out. Got to thank her for that.”

“Where is she now?” He asked.

“At home with Darren and their guardians. Optimus decided to save the lecture and sent her home.” The good doctor answered and leaned back, giving Bulkhead the all clear. “She didn’t look good. Though no words were said, it’s obvious that she’s grounded for now.”

no words were said, it’s obvious that she’s grounded for now.”

“I need to talk to see.” Bulkhead hooped off the berth. “She might listen to me. Maybe I can see what’s going on with her.”

“Not right now you aren’t.” Ratchet held Bulkhead back. “She needs space right now. Annie went through a lot, and she needs to be away from our world right now. You can speak with her when she comes over tomorrow.”

“But-“

“Annie isn’t going to get better overnight and seeing you won’t change anything. Just let her rest and recover.”

Bulkhead sighed and nodded sadly. Ratchet patted his shoulder and sent him to his quarters. As he did so, his thoughts were plagued by Annie.

Bulkhead liked her. She was strong, outgoing and not afraid to get rough, a lot like him. In fact, she was a bit too much like him. Bulkhead remembered how he was like her back when he joined the Wreckers. He was so full of anger at seeing his home, a small town near Nova Cronum, get ravaged by a Decepticon raid that he wanted to kill everyone who wore a Decepticon badge. He felt helpless at saving his home, and he wanted to hide that pain, that vulnerability, under a layer of bravado and strength so that he wouldn’t go through that again. He was thankful that Kup had broken him from that line of thinking, or else he would’ve gotten himself killed trying to be a hero. Annie did the same thing today, and he was scared at how far she was willing to go to get rid of this inferiority complex.

He reached his quarters and walked inside, falling onto his recharge slab and forced himself to fall asleep. He was going to see Annie tomorrow, and see what was going on with her. Something wasn’t right, and he was going to find out.

XXXXXX

The next day was another rainy, gloomy school day, which seemed to match Annie’s mood. Aside from a few thunderous rumbles and a light drizzle, it didn’t rain too much, but it was clear that a really bad storm was on the way.

Annie’s appearance and mood seemed to get worse as the day went on. She walked through the halls looking more like a pale zombie than a spry young girl she usually was. Even the bullies Fred and Billy gave her a wide berth, not wanting to confrontational with her. It was probably best that they didn’t start something with the odd looking girl.

The change in her seemed to have happened overnight. Her skin was paler than before, like she hadn’t seen the sun in 13 years, but it wasn’t a sickly white. Instead, it was as if her skin had become as smooth and pale as marble, flawless of any abnormalities that kids her age often had. Her hair was straighter, glossier than she would’ve had it. There was a bit of a red tint to her lips, like lipstick, and it contrasted with her pale skin and black hair. Coupled with her dark expression, it made her seem like someone had sucked all the life out of her and came out looking like a gothic-style doll.

“Annie just tell me what’s wrong.” Darren said as he tried to keep up with her after their English class. “You barely slept last night and you didn’t eat breakfast this morning. If you’re still not feeling well from yesterday…”

“Leave me alone.” Annie didn’t even try to talk to her brother as she walked away from him. Darren shivered, her voice was cool, lacking any of the heat it had yesterday. She was getting worse.

In her history class, Annie sat by the window listening to Ms. Masters drone on about some ancient queen she didn’t give a damn about. The window was open, and a cold breeze drifted inside, hitting her bare arms, but she didn’t mind. The cold air kept her awake. The last thing she needed was taking shit from the teacher for sleeping in class.

“Queen Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab of Bagdad. She was a peculiar woman with peculiar habits. One of those habits was forcing her husband and royal court to worship stone idols, gods who had a startling similarity to our modern day religions. Anyone who did otherwise were persecuted and either imprisoned or killed for their defiance.” Ms. Master explained. “She ruled alongside her husband for 47 years before he died and continued to exert her influence with two more kings before Bagdad was destroyed in a coup. Legend has it that for her cruel ways, she ways, she was thrown from the castle wall, trample by horses and eaten by dogs. Not a fun way to go out.”

Mandy, who was sitting just a few seats away from Annie, raised her hand. When she was called upon, she asked, “Was Jezebel pretty?”

‘For fucks sake.’ Annie groaned internally. Could she be any more useless?

“Very,” The teacher confirmed. “Jezebel was known for her beauty, but she was also known for her rather…odd interests. Aside from worshipping the idol who we know as Jubileus, Jezebel also had a strong fascination with roses. Paintings, carvings, jewelry, all had a rose motif that appeased her general obsession with the flower. No one knows why she loves roses so much, even back then, but we can only assume that it was because of her deteriorating sanity.”

As she continued to talk about the fallen queen, Annie felt her ring warming up again and rubbed it to sooth the itching sensation on her finger. She felt someone staring at her and looked up to see Mandy and one of her friends sneaking glances at her, snickering.

 _‘Look at them, acting like they’re better than you because they’re pretty. They’d go insane if went through what you’ve experienced. You’re strong than them, and that makes you a threat to them in their eyes.’_ Her mind said. _‘They have nothing but looks to rely on, and they think that they’re beautiful, but they’re not. You are. Your strength and power makes you beautiful, and they have nothing on that.’_

‘Shut up inner me.’ Annie thought, running a hand through her hair, trying to mess it up only for it to return to normal.

_‘Wouldn’t it feel good just to slit their throats? Watch them slowly bleed out at your feet, begging for help after they acted so high and mighty? It’d be so easy, no one would bat an eyelash at their deaths. They’re nothing compared to you!’_

‘I said shut up!’

“Annie?”

“Huh?” Annie returned to reality, where she saw a concerned Ms. Master standing over her.

“It’s time for lunch, Annie. You can go now.” She said.

“Oh, sorry.” Annie stood up and grabbed her bag, running out of the classroom.

She stumbled her way through the hall, pushing people out of the way as she went to the bathroom. Annie dumped her bag on the floor and washed her face in ice cold water to clear her head. Taking a deep breath, she looked at herself in the mirror and didn’t like the face looking back at her. It wasn’t her face. It couldn’t be.

“What’s wrong with me?” She whispered. This was scaring her.

‘ _You’re becoming perfect,’_ The Voice said. ‘ _Just like me. Soon you’ll not only be powerful, but beautiful to.’_

 _“_ Who are you? I know you’re not me, so who are you!” Annie screamed at the mirror. Her emerald green eyes had a red tint to them that was barely visible.

‘ _But dear, I am you. I am what you could be. What you should be.’_

“Ugh, really Annabelle? Talking to yourself in the mirror? Even I’m not that self-absorbed.” Mandy and her posse showed up in the bathroom, looking at Annie like they would a wild animal.

“Leave me alone.” Annie growle, clutching the sink so hard the skin over her knuckles turned white.

“Not until you beat it.” One of Mandy’s lackies spat. “We don’t want you around us, so beat it you dyke.”

Annie’s head snapped to her left so fast she heard her neck snap. “What did you call me?”

The girls took a step back after seeing the murderous glare on Annie’s face, but Mandy just took it in stride. “She called you a dyke. That’s what you are, right? Everyone knows you bat for the other team. Not much of a surprise, seeing as you act too much of a guy to have boys like you.”

“At least I don’t have to spread my legs just to get a guy to look at me. Child prostitution is illegal in this country in case you haven’t noticed.” Annie replied coldly. “Guess you take after your mother.”

“My mother was a good woman who was killed by those freaks people like you and your brother seem to worship on a daily basis!” Mandy snarled, her charming façade crumbling as she got into Annie’s face. “At least my mother wasn’t dumb enough to commit suicide.”

Annie’s grip on the sink caused the porcelain to crack.

“What, got nothing to say this time?” Mandy smirked. “I see your big sister’s been taking care of you and your loser brother by herself. It must’ve been really hard. I wonder if she’s been taking side jobs to take care of your money problems. A pretty girl like her is just perfect for moonlighting as a backstreet-“

Annie punched Mandy square in the nose, hearing a satisfying crunch as his knuckles broke bone and cut skin, drawing blood. The brunette fell onto her back and Annie jumped on top of her, pummeling her face with punches and grabbing at her hair. The ring she sore left bloody cuts along Mandy’s pretty features, hurting more and more as it pummeled her face.

“Stop it, stop it!” Mandy cried, but Annie showed her no mercy.

‘ _That’s it, show her your dominance! Make her pay! Teach her what happens when she tests the patience of a true predator!”_

As more blood covered the crystal rose, its lavender hue slowly turned red to emulate the same flower it was modeled after.

XXXXXX

Annie’s explosion at school got her a week-long suspension, with Mandy being sent to the hospital unconscious and possibly needing stitches. She would be okay, but the girl would definitely have some scars for life. Darren took Annie home himself, with the Minicons quietly following in tow. Annie thankfully didn’t make much of a fuss along the way and stayed quiet, still covered in Mandy’s blood. Upon getting the news, Debbie came straight home and that’s when the trouble began.

Almost a half hour after Debbie returned home, Darren sat in his father’s reclining chair watching his sisters go at it with each other. He had High Wire and Grindor wait upstairs to give the family some private time, not that it could even be called that given how loud the girls were shouting.

“I can’t believe you, Annie. I thought you had more control than this.” Debbie said, pacing angrily in front of her sister. “You’re lucky Mandy’s aunt isn’t pressing charges for medical bills after you tore the girl’s face up.”

“She was asking for it! Insulting our mother, calling you a whore, I’m just doing what others were too scared to do, teach her a lesson!” Annie yelled.

“That doesn’t excuse your actions. You can’t just punch everyone who makes you mad.”

“Whatever.” Annie said and stood up. “I’m grounded anyway, so what does it matter? Darren let’s go.”

“You’re not going to the Ark, Annie.” Debbie said sternly. “And neither are you, Darren.”

“What?” Darren gaped at her. “What did I do?”

“I let you two stay with the Autobots because I thought they could protect you, keep you safe from those Decepticons. But now I hear that you’re piloting talos into battle and fighting them? Not to mention Annie almost got killed fighting Megatron of all people!”

“But it wasn’t the Autobots’ fault!” Annie said.

“It doesn’t matter, Annie.” Debbie said. “You’re kids, you should be worrying about grades, puberty, weekend plans, not fighting for your life every day in a war that has nothing to do with our planet.”

“Debbie, the Bots and Minicons have been keeping us safe before you even had a clue about all this.” Darren said, not letting this go. “You can’t just run from this. The Cons will attack us now, Autobots or no Autobots.”

“I’m not arguing with you on this, Darren. Neither of you are going back to them and that’s final.” She said sternly and sighed. “I’m sorry guys, but I just want to keep you safe.”

“Keep us safe? That’s a laugh!” Annie said scathingly. The sheer scorn in her voice made Debbie take a step back in shock. “You protect us? This is no different from how you supposedly protect Darren.”

“What are you talking about?” Debbie asked.

Annie stomped towards Debbie until she was staring her right into her eyes. “You think I wouldn’t notice. That I wouldn’t catch how you would use underhanded fear tactics to scare him into not using his powers, or even practicing with them? You have some nerve using the Friends of Humanity as some kind of imaginary boogeyman to cull him into listening to you, making him into a coward who’s afraid of himself, who hates what he is!”

“I’ve never done that to Darren and you know that. I told him not to use his powers because this country isn’t safe for espers anymore.” Debbie replied, but Annie wasn’t having it.

“Don’t give me that shit! Anyone who does that and has the balls to call it helping us has no right to call themselves my family!”

Debbie looked heartbroken at that. “Annie…”

Annie turned and walked away, but Darren grabbed her arm. “That was too far, Annie. You didn’t have to say that.”

“Let go of me, Darren…” Annie said, not looking at him.

“No, I won’t let go. You’ve been acting strange ever since you started wearing that ring, and now it’s turning you into some kind of monster. Please, Annie, you wouldn’t be saying all these things if you weren’t wearing-“

“I SAID LET GO!”

Annie’s left hand ripped free from Darren’s grip and backhanded him across the face. Debbie gasped as Darren fell back, holding his hand over a deep gash in his left cheek. Blood leaked from the cut as he looked at Annie in surprise. Even Annie was horrified by what she did.

Tears falling, Annie turned and ran up the stairs, pushing past High Wire and Grindor, who were listening in on the fight, and ran into her room, slamming her door shut. Grindor tried to go after her, but High Wire stopped him.

“Let her be alone for a while. She just needs some space.” He said. “You can bunk with Darren and me until she’s doing better.”

Grindor just nodded and sulked against the door. He hated himself for not keeping his friend happy. Fighting Cons was one thing, emotions were a different matter entirely.

XXXXXX

“How are you feeling Bulk?” Wheeljack asked as he strolled into the rec room.

“Like new,” Bulkhead said, flexing his new arm. He threw a couple of punches and was glad to find that it wasn’t as stiff as he thought it would be. “Feels a bit weird though.”

“Your neurocircuits still need some time to properly align first, so it still might feel a bit out of place.” Ratchet said. “Don’t do anything strenuous until then.”

“Got it doc.”

“Bulkhead!” Bumblebee ran into the room, looking like he just saw Megatron himself in the Ark. “Bulkhead, we’ve got an emergency!”

“What is it, Bee? Cons?” Bulkhead asked.

“N-No, it’s Annie. Darren just called us and he said she’s gone missing!”

Bulkhead’s eyes widened. “What?!”

Minutes later, Bulkhead was in the command center with Optimus and Prowl, who also just got the news.

“According to Darren, she was gone when they woke up this morning. Grindor was locked out of her room, so he doesn’t know what happened to her.” Prowl explained. “There weren’t any signs of a struggle or kidnapping. She went on her own.”

“W-Why would she do that?” Bulkhead was trying hard not to panic, but he was failing at that.

“She got into a fight with Darren and Debbie and didn’t come out of her room for the entire evening and all night. We think she might’ve run away just for spite, but-“

Bulkhead cut Prowl off. “Who cares about the why? Just tell me where!”

“If she had one of Roll Bar’s auto-trackers, we could’ve found her with Teletran-1.” Prowl said.

“But she didn’t take her watch.” Optimus said grimly. “We already have teams our looking for her, and Darren requested that you help him search the forests around Tranquility.”

“I’ll be right there, Optimus. Just bridge me to him and-“

There was a loud bang down the hall, followed by a chain of curses from Skyfire. The three Autobots ran into the hall to see what happened and saw Liftor running toward them.

“It’s Mjolnir,” He stammered. “It just flew out of here! Right out of the room and smashed through the landing hatch in the shuttle bay like it was nothing.”

Optimus narrowed his eyes and looked hard at Bulkhead. “Go!”

XXXXXX

Darren tried to remain calm as he searched the skies above Tranquility within his talos, the Prometheus. Bulkhead drove through the streets of the town’s outskirts with Centurion and Sara (who was ordered by Gina to assist Darren in the search in her place) in his vehicle mode. Debbie was out with Arcee and Jazz looking on the other side of town, but had no luck. Their only lead was Mjolnir, the only possible way they were going to find Annie.

“Do you have a visual on Mjolnir, Darren?” Bulkhead asked over the comm.

“Nothing yet, Bulkhead.” He replied, keeping his eyes peeled. “Come on, where is it?”

“The hammer is flying all the way from the Ark two states away, Darren. And it doesn’t exactly move at mach 2 speed.” Centurion told him. “We just have to be vigilant.”

“I know, it’s just…if I had approached Annie sooner, maybe all this could’ve been avoided. She’s been on a downward slope and I didn’t do a damn thing!” He gritted his teeth.

“Worrying about the past is pointless.” Sara said. “Let’s focus on the mission so we can bring her back safely.”

Yeah…thanks, Sara.” Darren said. He got an alert on his radar panel and saw a green blip moving close to the city. “I got a fix on it!”

“Then guide us, Darren. Point me in the right direction and I’ll follow ya.” Bulkhead increased his speed and drove out of the city.

Darren flew under the tree line as he entered the forest, following the trail of the powerful hammer. Bulkhead drove on the road leading out of the town and they both saw the glint of the golden hammer flying through the trees. Darren maneuvered his talos to follow it, trying not to get caught in the thick wall of branches in front of him. Bulkhead raced after him, but insisted that Darren shouldn’t hang back for them. After a few minutes of following the hammer, Darren realized something and stopped, landing Prometheus on the ground.

“Bulkhead, hold up.” He said, looking around.

“Hold up? We need to follow that hammer or we’re going to lose it!” Bulkhead exclaimed but Darren didn’t budge.

“Something’s not right. We should’ve run into Annie by now.” Darren observed. He took out his beam rifle and put his Prometheus into combat mode. “I just realized that Annie can’t control Mjolnir from a far distance away. She can only do it if it’s in her line of sight or if she knows it’s close by.”

Bulkhead let Centurion and Sara out before changing to bipedal mode and converting his hand into its blaster mode. “So…you think we’re walking into a trap?”

“I’d say we’re already in the trap.” Darren said.

Sara suddenly tensed up and grabbed Centurion’s hand before dragging him back just as a field of black lightning appeared around Bulkhead and Darren. The Autobot cried out and fell to his knees while the Prometheus suffered a major systems failure and fell back into a tree. Darren grunted in pain as he felt the electrical jolt in his cockpit, but wasn’t seriously harmed. His talos was another story.

“No, no, no!” Darren tried to move his machine but it was completely dead. He used to emergency lever to open the hatch and jumped down to run over to bulkhead. “Bulkhead, you alright?”

“I’ll be fine when I learn what hit us.” Bulkhead groaned.

“I believe that was the trap.” Sara said. Darren glared at her, but held back any scathing remarks.

“Come out here you coward! We know you’re here!” Bulkhead roared and slammed his fists together. “I’m not in the mood for your slag and let’s get this started already!”

Just as he called out his challenge, a pale hand emerged from the ground and punched Bulkhead in the chest. He crashing to the ground and rolled to his feet. Sara acted quickly, picking up Darren and jumping back as a large form pulled itself from the dirt and foliage like a deformed plant. Centurion readied his beam saber for battle.

The creature that emerged looked like a mix between a human and a planet, specifically a rose. From the shoulders down, was an armless humanoid body that sat on its knees crawling across the ground. Where it’s head should be were five plant stalks that each ended in a rose. From the buds of those roses were body parts, hands, an ear, a mouth and finally the head, which was a woman’s face with short black hair and pitch black eyes with a smooth sheet of skin where her mouth would be. The head extension looked down at her prey with mirth.

“It feels so good to be alive again,” She said, her mouth talking and waving around in the air, but her head stayed in place as she stared down at them. “It took you long enough to find me. I thought I was going to have to lure you here myself.”

“Who the hell are you?” Bulkhead said, looking the creature over. “What are you?”

“I am Jezebel, queen of Bagdad and a goddess among men. Show your queen the respect she deserves, peasants, or I’ll get really ugly.”

“I don’t care if you’re Gaia herself, I came here for one reason and one reason only, and that’s my sister!” Darren growled at the creature. “Now where is she?”

“Ah, the girl…she belongs to me now.” Jezebel’s mouth grinned, revealing a mouth full of dagger-like teeth. “Such anger, such inner turmoil, truly she’s a rarity among today’s youth. Why, she reminds me of myself at that age.”

She waved a hand, and a rose sprouted from the ground. The flower petals opened up to reveal Annie sitting in the rose bud, but she didn’t look like the girl they knew. Annie’s skin was deathly white, and her eyes were black as night, with blood red pupils. Bandages wrapped tightly around her lithe body from her shoulders to her feet, covering her arms to her elbows and encasing her legs up to her thighs, though parts of her body were left exposed to show off her marble white skin. The crystal ring still sat on her finger, but it was pulsating like a heart.

“Annie,” Darren gasped. “What the hell did you do to her?”

“I simply gave her what she wanted…power.” Jezebel said, reaching over to caress Annie’s body like a priceless doll. “She looks entrancing, doesn’t she? Your sister is now beautiful in every way possible. This is her calling.”

“Give her back!” Darren ran forward, telekinetically ripping up the ground to throw shards of wood and dirt at Jezebel. She snapped her fingers and black lances of energy tore apart the projectiles before shooting at Darren, who jumped back to avoid them.

“Darren, I do not advise fighting her with your current lack of armaments.” Sara said.

“Such poor manners, it seems you need to be taught a lesson in how to treat royalty.” Jezebel looked down at Annie. “Annie, teach your brother how to act properly before a lady.”

Annie wordless ran forward and charged at her brother, moving at speeds that neared superhuman. Darren quickly threw up a telekinetic barrier to block a punch, but he felt his whole body get pushed back as Annie continued her charge. The ground trembled as the twins flew back into the forest, crashing through a couple of tress in the process. Sara ran after them, leaving Bulkhead and Centurion to face Jezebel.

“Now that kids are away,” She grinned. “Shall we play?”

“You’re going down, tulip lady!” Bulkhead fired his blaster at her head, but they only hit a barrier surrounding Jezebel’s body.

Jezebel laughed and swiped her hand, shooting multiple black energy bolts at the cybertronians. Bulkhead and Centurion jumped apart as the bolts tore apart the ground and blasted apart the trees and they charged at her from different angles. Bulkhead tried to attack her lower body, but she snatched him up and threw him into a tree, smashing right through the trunk and into the ground.

“That’s the spirit! Come on, try to kill me! Give your queen a show!” Jezebel cackled.

Bulkhead growled and ran back into the battle. He wasn’t going to give up until Annie was free, no matter what!

XXXXXX

Darren’s force barrier crashed through a tree before slamming into the ground. He grunted and dissolved it before leaping back to avoid Annie as she landed right where he once stood, leaving a deep crater in the ground. The twins stood across from each other in the clearing, brother against sister.

“Annie! I know you can hear me in there!” Darren yelled at his sister. “Please, remember who you are! Don’t let that monster control you!”

Annie said nothing, her blackened gaze showing no signs of the sister he knew and loved. She raised her hand and summoned Mjolnir to her. The hammer flew into her hand and discharged black lightning bolts that ripped into everything they touched.

“Don’t do this, sis.” Darren muttered.

Annie sent a storm of electricity at Darren, who immediately enhanced his body with telekinesis and ran in a circle around her to dodge the bolts. He jumped onto a tree and pushed off it, shooting at her and mentally pulling two tree trunks with him. He sent them at Annie, who smashed them apart with Mjolnir, only for Darren to slam into her and knock her to the ground. She skidded through the dirt and he leapt at her, but Annie quickly jumped back up and kicked him in the chest with the force of a train.

Darren only managed to avoid having his chest caved in because he surrounded his body in a telekinetic exoskeleton that acted as his main source of protection from the superhuman abilities of his possessed sister. Fighting her was literally going to kill him if he wasn’t careful. He landed on the ground and deflected more of Mjolnir’s lightning bolts, though the force of the attack pushed him back even further.

‘I’m not going down that easily!’ Darren thought and waved his arms, causing the entire ground underneath Annie’s feet to suddenly break apart.

Annie was thrown into the air and Darren propelled himself into her, slamming her into the ground and dragging her through the dirt and foliage, punching her face repeatedly to weaken her. But all Annie had to do was swing Mjolnir into his side and Darren was sent crashing through a tree from that one blow. He bounced off the ground once before landing on his feet and glaring at her.

“I’m not giving up on you!” He said and sent a rock flying at her. With Mjolnir, Annie smashed the rock apart, but Darren had a fist made of compacted dirt slam into her chest, punching her away and making her lose her grip on her hammer. Annie hit the ground hard, but the blows she took were nothing to her. She simply stood back up and raised her hand to recall Mjolnir. “No you don’t!”

Darren telekinetically grabbed Mjolnir and kept the hammer from going back to its master. The twins fought over the hammer, which hovered in the air between them. Darren held strong, but he could feel his body being pulled forward, his heels digging into the dirt. Annie’s hold over Mjolnir was stronger, and he wouldn’t be able to win this struggle. So he decided to cheat.

A finger flick made Annie trip up and she stumbled back, losing her concentration. Now having full control of the hammer, Darren pushed his telekinetic senses to the limits as he threw Mjolnir as far as he could, which was pretty far. The hammer flew into the horizon and he lost sight of it, which was one problem taken care of. But as he turned around, he found himself staring into the blood red eyes of his sister, who had rushed him from behind and already threw a fist at his face.

Despite being protected by telekinetic armor, Darren still felt his brain rattle in his skull as Annie’s fist slammed into the side of his head, and the force of the punch alone was enough to blast him a couple of feet back. He smashed through two trees and landed head first into the ground, stopping on his back in the bottom of a ditch. Annie ran after him, leaping the rest of the distance and was about to land on him…when suddenly a white beam blasted Annie out of the air and away from him.

“You are hurt, Darren.” Sara said as she jumped down from a tree she was standing on and landed before him, her white bodysuit glowing with power. “Stay here while I take care of her.”

“Sara…no,” Darren coughed. That punch left him dizzy and the impact knocked the breath from his lungs. “Don’t hurt her. She’s my sister.”

Sara looked at Annie, who was just beginning to stand up. She was completely unharmed from the laser blast she took to the head, but the bandages over her mouth were burned away. Annie’s lips were blood red, and her mouth hid a maw of sharp teeth capable of rending flesh and even metal. Like an animal, she hissed at Sara and glared murderously at her as the ring on her finger pulsated like a beating heart.

“That is no longer your sister.” Sara said and prepared to take down the threat to her mistress’s beloved.

Annie howled and charged at Sara, and the android also ran at the possessed girl. The two met in the middle and threw punches at each other, catching the others fists and struggling in a deadlock. Sara, who was already strong to begin with, found herself being pushed back by Annie’s enhanced strength, but kept pushing forward. If she had to break the girl’s hands to subdue her, then she was prepared to do so. Unfortunately for her, Annie’s evolution granted her more powers than just increased physical abilities.

Annie’s eyes glowed bright red and fired two beams of red energy from her irises right into Sara’s chest. Sara was sent flying back through the air, smashing through a couple of trees before crashing to the ground, hitting a tree trunk on the way down.

Sara groaned and sat up, fingering a shallow cut in her cheek as she regarded Annie with more wariness. Bringing out her laser swords, Sara ran forward and charged at Annie with the intent to kill, which Annie did as well with great fervor.

XXXXXX

Centurion stabbed his laser sword into Jezebel’s hand and cut as deep as he could into her flesh. She hissed and threw him away, slamming him to the ground. Bulkhead hit her lower body with his wrecking ball, hearing the sickening crunch of bone and cartilage under his immense strength. More energy bolts were sent his way, but he took cover behind the trees, staying mobile as the trees were blown apart. Centurion leapt at her head, but she moved out of the way and fired a black energy bolt from her mouth. Though he blocked the blast, he was still sent back into the ground at the foot of an oak tree.

“You creatures are very persistent, aren’t you?” Jezebel said, crawling forward on large hands, black painted nails digging into the dirt and leaves. “All this effort for a girl.”

“She’s my friend, of course I’d go through all this trouble to get her back.” Bulkhead replied. “She’s just a girl with her own demons that haunt her. Don’t play around with her life like she’s some toy!”

“She was mine the minute she wore my ring!” Jezebel’s snake-like limbs slithered in the air, smashing into the trees and hitting the ground in her agitation. “The girl and I are one and the same now. Kill me and she dies as well.”

“Like I’m gonna believe that slag!”

Bulkhead shot a laser blast into Jezebel’s forehead, making her reel back in pain. He ran forward and smashed his wrecking ball into her hand, breaking multiple fingers in the process. Snarling, she backhanded him into a tree and summoned thorny vines to wrap tight around his body. Pinning him to the tree, Jezebel’s head leaned down and glared at the Autobot.

“Listen closely, machine,” She hissed. “I am the only thing that Annie needs in her life, the only one who can give her what she truly wants; power, strength, beauty, she has it all now. All that is left for is to cut her ties with her old life, and then she can truly blossom into a beautiful rose. And that means she has to kill the boy…and I kill you!”

The vines around his limbs tightened and squeezed, slowly crushing him. Bulkhead growled and tried to escape, though it seemed he was well and truly trapped in this monster’s clutches.

XXXXXX

Annie and Sara flew through the air, punching and kicking at each other. Sara slammed Annie to the ground, but the girl kicked her into a tree and rammed her shoulder into her chest, smashing her through the tree and throwing her aside. Sara grabbed a tree branch and swung around, but Annie spin kicked her in the side and grabbed her leg instead, spinning her around before tossing her upwards like a ragdoll. Before Sara could recover, Annie jumped up and caught her in a clothesline that threw her into a boulder.

Annie roared in Sara’s face before kicking her in the chest over and over. Sara grunted in pain as Annie’s kicks slowly pushed her deeper into the rock, before the boulder finally shattered and Sara was kicked into the air. Annie fired her heat beams at Sara, who blocked them with her overshield before leaping at Annie. Faster than the eye could see, Sara flanked Annie and grabbed her hair, slamming her into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust and dirt into the air, followed by a resounding boom of the earth shattering.

XXXXXX

Darren’s body ached despite not being hit directly. Whatever Jezebel had done to Annie had turned her into a walking tank who only seemed to be getting stronger with each passing minute. His TK armor barely held up against her attacks and he knew his fleshy body was no match against her bone crushing strength.

‘There has to be a way to help her. She’s not last yet, I refuse to believe that!’ Darren thought. He heard thunderous booms a few miles away from him where Sara and Annie threw themselves following their last scuffle. Even from here he could hear them fighting fiercely.

“To think I was worried about Sara killing Annie.” He muttered. “Perhaps it’s the other way around.”

Another earth shattering crack rippled through the forest and Darren saw something flying above the trees trailing smoke behind it-it was Sara!

XXXXXX

Sara hit the ground hard enough to leave a crater in the dirt before landing on her front. Her bodysuit was torn and she sported cuts all over her body, revealing her inner circuitry. She weakly pushed herself onto her back and propped herself against the foot of a tree. Everything hurt, which was a first for her, and she couldn’t access her weapons in this state. Annie was more powerful than she predicted.

‘Is there any way to defeat her?’ Sara wondered.

She saw something jump into the air and saw Annie falling towards her, aiming to land the killing blow. Sara struggled to get up and prepared for the onslaught that was sure to end in her death, but she was content knowing that Darren was safe. However, as Annie got closer to Sara’s position, a silver blur slammed into her and the girl was sent flying away from Sara at high speeds.

Though she could scarcely process it, Sara knew what she saw was real. That silver blur was Darren!

XXXXXX

Darren screamed as he pushed his body and his powers to their limits. Wrapped in a tightly woven aura of telekinetic energy, Darren was actually flying through the air like a bullet, with Annie trapped in his arms as they smashed through over a dozen trees. Annie grabbed him around the middle and threw him off, but he swung around a tree trunk and planted his feet into her chest, slamming her into the ground. Annie’s heat beams hit his force barrier and pushed him back, but he held strong and shattered the trunks of the trees next to her, making them fall on top of her.

With a bestial roar, she tore her way out of the pile of trees on top of her and she leapt at Darren with the intent to rip him in half. Darren waited until she was just inches from him before snapping his fingers and sending a boulder slamming into her with tremendous force. He made the boulder, and Annie fly up high into the air, out of the forest and miles away before flying after her, pushing his body to its absolute limits. Annie tore apart the boulder, but he slammed into her and pushed her higher and higher into the clouds.

Cold air assaulted his senses as he and Annie entered the clouds. He rushed at his sister, but Annie was faster, punching him in the face before grabbing his head and spinning him around and around before throwing him downward. Falling after him, she ensnared his body in a bone crushing grip and began head butting his forehead over and over even as they fell to the ground at high speeds. Darren felt his TK armor weakening and pushed her away, spinning her around and punching her face repeatedly, though she retaliated with a palm thrust to her chest that nearly knocked him off her. Annie gripped his neck and went to fire her heat beams, but Darren covered her eyes with his hand at the last minute just as they hit the ground.

A powerful shockwave burst from the impact point, and nearly blew Sara away as it hit her. She stumbled for a second but kept on running to aid Darren.

At the site where the twins had made landfall, there was a massive crater, with trees blasted over and on fire from the shockwave the kids released upon hitting the ground. Darren climbed out of the crater, his TK armor completely gone and his right arm badly burnt and in terrible pain.

Annie’s heat beams had seared away the armor around his arm and nearly took it off as they hit the ground and now he could barely feel a thing. Groaning in pain, he got to his feet and looked back just in time to see Annie standing at the bottom of the crater, completely unharmed save for her eyes, which also sported burns due to the backlash of having her eye beams blocked. Glaring up at her brother, she jumped off the ground and flew at Darren, only for a Sara, who boosted at the last minute, to slam into her.

The girls rolled through the dirt before Sara pinned Annie down and assaulted her with powerful punches that would’ve shattered a normal human skull. She grabbed Annie’s hair and swung her around before letting go and shooting an energy blast into her chest, blasting Annie through a tree and into a clearing, near a pond.

“You…will not…” Sara grunted. “Hurt…Darren…”

Sara sprinted forward and made to hit Annie again, but the girl shot back up and backhanded Sara in the jaw, smacking her away. She grabbed Sara’s foot and slammed her into the ground a couple of times before punching her in the chest and sending her into a tree. Sara coughed and slid to the ground, unable to stand up anymore.

Annie charged at her, but Darren, severely weakened but still able to fight, rammed into her and send them both rolling along the ground. He forced his TK armor around his body and punched Annie back towards the pond, but she hit harder, and faster. He only got two punches off before Annie hit him three times in the face, knocking him back. Annie ran forward and slammed her fist right into the middle of his chest, shattering his TK armor and blasting him back into a tree.

She walked over to Darren, standing over his bloody, wheezing body and knelt down to wrap her hands around his neck. Darren quickly covered his neck in a tiny force field, but he couldn’t keep it up for long. Just a few minutes more and she was going to choke him.

“A-Annie, this isn’t you.” He coughed. “You’re…not killer. I know that there are things that set you off, that might push you to the edge, but you’re not heartless. And I know you’re not weak…”

Annie’s grip on his throat tightened and she almost shattered his force field. He struggled to breath, but kept talking.

“I know you blame yourself for mom’s death. I know how weak and helpless it made you feel, but strength alone can only get you so far in life. Being sad and scared doesn’t make you a weakling, Annie; i-it just makes you human.”

Darren reached up with his hands and placed them on her cheeks, lightly patting them. Annie recognized the gesture-it was something they always did as babies.

“Being strong isn’t eliminating feelings like sadness and fear, it’s learning from them and overcoming them. Not letting those emotions rule you is what it means to be strong.” He said. “You don’t have to face everything by yourself. I’m here, and so is Debbie, Gina, Grindor, Bulkhead and everyone else. We’re all here for each other, and we can help you become stronger in both mind and body. We’re twins, Annie, we share everything. So let me share your pain.”

Annie had stopped trying to choke him and was crying. Her eyes, though still black, lost their red tint and returned to green. Slowly her senses returned to her and she saw her brother lying under her, beaten and bloodied, and she jumped back. Pain surged through her brain as Jezebel’s voice ran in her head.

 _‘Kill him! Kill him now and you will finally become the woman you were meant to be!’_ Jezebel roared in her head. _‘With his blood, you will become a goddess!’_

‘Not at the cost of throwing everyone I care about away!’ Annie yelled back. ‘I am no one’s pawn! I am my own person!’

_‘No! You belong to me!’_

The ring began to violently shock Annie, sending energy through her body through the roots embedded in her finger from the ring. Annie screamed and fell over, writhing in pain. Darren crawled over to her and grabbed her hand with his one working arm, trying to pull it off. He winced as he felt the painful energy lash out at his hand but he ignored it and tried to telekinetically pull it off, but it wouldn’t budge.

“It won’t come off!” He yelled.

 _‘I will not be refused what belongs to me! The girl is mine, now and forever!’_ Jezebel said through the ring.

Annie gritted her teeth and looked at Darren, her eye still black but with a less monstrous light in them now. “Darren, I need you to make a dagger from the rocks around us.”

“What?!”

“Just do it!”

Darren did so, telekinetically forming the rocks into one sharp blade that fit in his hand. Annie grabbed it and held it over her ring finger.

“Wait, Annie, don’t!” He said, but she shook her head.

“This ring is coming off,” She said. “One way or another!”

Annie raised the dagger high over her head and brought it down on her ringer.

XXXXXX

The crystal ring Annie wore was an anchor for Jezebel to remain in the physical world. Having died as a human, Jezebel’s soul had been retrieved by her so-called goddess and placed within a new, more powerful form, but she couldn’t return to life. The ring, which had been hers in her past life, was her only way of getting to see the sun again, and only if it gained enough energy to allow her to pass through. Annie, a girl who was so much like Jezebel in her youth, was the best candidate for the task of being her avatar, anchoring Jezebel to the world in return for receiving her power, good and bad.

Thus, when Annie cut off her finger, she severed the connection between them and Jezebel lost her anchor. This had a detrimental effect on her.

“Kraaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!” Jezebel screamed in pain as she felt her connection to Annie get cut. “You little whore!”

Bulkhead flexed his arms and broke the vines apart, breaking free. He fired a laser blast into her face, making her recoil in pain. He fired another blast at her mouth, blasting the flower stem to pieces with one shot. Jezebel went to attack with her hand, but Centurion leapt up and severed the limb with his laser sword. It was obvious that she was moving slower than before, weaker. Her power was fading.

“You all deserve to go to hell!” Jezebel cried, stumbling about like a sick, twisted version of the woman she once was. Blood poured profusely from her wounds her lower body pushed against the ground in pain. Bulkhead marched over to what’s left of her mouth and tore it off.

“I’m getting tired of hearing you yap.” He said.

“ _No_ ,” Her voice wailed in their minds. “ _I can’t die…like this…I am immortal…undying…I will not fade again…”_

Centurion, sick of her crying and begging, leapt up and descended upon her, slashing his laser sword downward and cutting cleanly into the muscles of her beck, severing her head in one clean stroke. Bulkhead watched her body spasm before falling onto its side, the rose petals wilting in seconds as if deprived of water and sunlight. Centurion landed on the ground and stepped back to keep the blood from reaching him.

“It’s…over.” Centurion breathed. It was an exhausting fight and he struggled to maintain his form after a harrowing battle like that.

“Darren, Annie, we need to go find them!” Bulkhead said. He got a chime on his comm and answered it. “Who is it?”

 _“It is Sara, Ms. Gina’s protector.”_ Sara’s weak but soft voice answered. Bulkhead could tell she was hurt from the strain in her voice. _“I am calling to inform you that Darren and Annie are still functional, but both are severely hurt and are in need of medial attention.”_

“We’ll be right there!” Bulkhead answered and called Ratchet.

In the clearing, Sara sat down next to the unconscious twins, holding them close to her despite her own exhaustion. Everyone suffered wounds both physical and mental, but their ordeal was finally over.

XXXXXX

Annie woke up to a dimly lit room, which she barely recognized as the Ark’s medibay. She was lying in a very soft bed that was just the right size for her. It was probably made with the children in mind by the Minicons given how much more danger they were in now. Feeling a soft weight on her leg, Annie looked down and saw Debbie sound asleep next to her bedside. Her face was wet with dry tears.

“Debbie…” Annie whispered.

“Good to see you’re awake, sis.”

Annie turned to her right and saw Darren lying on another bed close to hers. His face and arm was covered in bandages, and presumably his torso was also bandaged as well. He was also dressed in a tacky bathrobe with the Autobot symbol on the back (an early birthday gift from Roll Bar). At Darren’s side was Gina, who was also asleep, holding his hand tightly.

“Darren,” She said softly. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, you gave me and Sara a serious beating back there. Hurts to breath a bit, but I’ll manage.” Darren said, keeping his voice low so as to not wake up the girls. “You don’t look so good yourself.”

Annie didn’t suffer as many wounds as her brother did, having been a superpowered demon during her possession from Jezebel. Still, her whole body ached and her head was pounding. She felt bandages tightly wrapped around her right hand and lifted it to see that she was missing a finger-the finger that held Jezebel’s ring.

“Cutting off your finger was nuts, but it worked.” Darren said. “Ironically, Bulkhead said that you saved him from losing anymore of his limbs. Funny how he came to save you and the opposite ends up happening. He said that you’re even now.”

Annie stared at her four fingered hand for a minute before letting it rest on her chest. “…This is what I get for all the crap I put everyone through.” She looked at Darren. “Darren, I’m so-“

“Shush.” He said, smiling softly, and laid his head back down on the pillow. “I know. I’m your twin remember? We can talk later. Right now, let’s get some sleep.”

Annie gave him a teary smile and nodded. “That sounds great.”

They closed their eyes, and almost unconsciously, their hands reached out and held each other, not wanting to feel alone as they let their exhaustion take over.

“Darren?”

“Yes, Annie?”

“…I love you.”

“Love you to, sis.”

For both of them, the nightmare was finally over.

 

 


	34. Before the Storm

Chapter 33-Before the Storm

Optimus sat in the Ark’s rec room with the other Autobots having a much needed break from all the crazy events that have happened lately. After the incident with Annie and Jezebel, everyone needed a reprieve. Annie and Darren were still recovering from their ordeal and were taking a break from working with the Autobots for a while (though Debbie still wanted the twins to maintain a certain distance from them, but the twins were adamant about not up and leaving the Autobots because of this). Optimus didn’t blame them. Things had gotten really intense lately, and that wasn’t even counting the war still going on in the greater galaxy.

It was a quiet moment for the team; Optimus sat at the bar with his old-time drinking buddy Jazz, Skyfire was chatting with Bumblebee about her golden days as a Seeker ace back on Cybertron, Bulkhead and Ironhide were engaged in an arm wrestling match with Refute acting as judge and Arcee was playing with Peppercat, dangling a string in front of the feline Minicon. All in all, it was just a couple of soldiers having some down time.

Jazz glanced over at Optimus, who was intently reading a datapad while sipping on a can of Vistriol. “You know, if you stare at that thing any longer, it might burst into flames.”

“Hmm?” Optimus looked up at his friend. “Did you say something, Jazz?”

“What are you reading, boss bot?” Jazz asked. “I doubt it’s the Sunday news.”

“I was reading the information Gina and Sara gathered for me.” Optimus skimmed over the text on the datapad. “The angels have clearly been involved in humanity’s past. They might have even helped the creation of the Arian Empire. But the real question is why they were here in the first place?”

“You’re tryin’ to learn about those freaky statue-things from reading dusty old bibles and religious hullabaloo?” Skyfire snorted and leaned back in her seat. “Good luck with that.”

“Aren’t they just here for conquer this world and all that a jazz?” Jazz grinned a bit at the joke he made and Arcee rolled her eyes. “I mean, they have a strong god complex that makes those Circle of Light yahoos look sane.”

“Be nice, Jazz, they aren’t all that bad.” Arcee lightly scolded. “But he is right. They seem pretty intent on asserting their dominance over Terra, and we’re in their way of getting the job done.”

“I don’t know. I think their animosity against us is more than just eliminating the competition.” Said Optimus, stopping on a passage he just finished. “What I’ve just recently read was…disturbing to say the least.”

That made the Autobots nervous. Anything that could unsettle Optimus was not something they could brush off. As the Matrix bearer, the Autobots were accustomed to having Optimus see and hear things outside the scope of the common mortal. This made him the foremost expert on all things metaphysical and supernatural, though he was no expert in those areas (Xaaron was more adept in that field). Commanding an army during a galactic civil war was hard enough without cosmic events trying to snuff him out.

Jazz looked over Prime’s shoulder and read the passage. “Are you reading a doom prophecy, boss bot?”

“Seriously? I gotta see this.” Skyfire looked at the datapad with Arcee and Bumblebee. “What’s it talking about?”

“Just something about nine spheres aligning and the heralding of the coming judgment about God’s messengers.” Jazz said, frowning. “Man, they talk about divine justice a lot in this.”

“It’s a religious prophecy, so expect to see at least three of those phrases per scripture.” Skyfire remarked.

“Nine spheres? What’s that mean?” Bulkhead asked.

“It’s referring to nine planets, specifically the nine planets of the Sol system.” Optimus explained. “The passage foretells of an even that will happen when all nine planets align, ushering in the arrival of the messengers.”

“…Alignment as in the planetary alignment the humans talking about on the telly?” Skyfire questioned, now sounding a bit nervous. “The one happening in a few days?”

Optimus nodded. “The very same.”

That made the team even more uneasy. All this talk about angels reminded them of Fortitudo, a powerful being who nearly wiped them off the face of the planet. The various encounters the Autobots and Decepticons had with those strange, angelic beings were growing in number and it set everyone on edge. Now there was some prophecy referring to a very real cosmic event that was going to happen less than 20 hours from now. It could just be a coincidence, but Optimus wasn’t taking any chances.

As for Optimus, he felt something ominous in the air. The Matrix was giving off one of its foreboding feelings again, a warning that something not of this world was coming. The last it did this, Fortitudo tried to kill them all. If this had something to do with another event involving those angels, he wanted to be ready. But he couldn’t gleam anything on these beings just from reading religious texts and folk tales.

“Speaking of doom prophecies,” Bulkhead said. “Where’s Prowl?”

“Hanging out with Wheeljack and Ratchet.” Bumblebee answered. “They’re still dissecting Jezebel’s corpse. If you ask me, they should’ve just burned that monster and scattered the ashes over the sea.”

Ironhide snorted and chugged down the rest of his drink. “That’s the thing, Prowl doesn’t ask for permission. He just tells you what he’s going to do.”

XXXXXX

Prowl looked at the remains of the monster named Jezebel, the demon that possessed Annie and nearly killed Bulkhead, Darren and Centurion. A few days had passed since she was killed, and her body was already showing signs of decay. The flower petals on her plant-like extensions were brown and shriveled up, and the fleshy parts of her body started to visibly age and wrinkle. Despite this, she didn’t show signs of rot or rigor mortis.

The corpse sat on an operating table in the medibay, with both Wheeljack and Ratchet examining every inch of the body. After hearing of Bulkhead’s account on Jezebel’s connection to the ring, he wanted to know just what the hell she was. All these enemies with supernatural powers popping up was starting to get on Prowl’s nerves.

“Did you two find anything out yet?” Prowl asked them.

“Aside from the obvious, there’s nothing much else to learn.” Ratchet said, studying pieces of the rose petals under a microscope. “She’s not an angel, since she’s flesh and blood. Her genetic makeup is actually almost completely human, albeit mutated.”

“She doesn’t look human, Ratchet.” Prowl pointed out, running his firm gaze along the dismembered body parts. He made sure to avoid looking at the head. Something about those cold, lifeless eyes unsettled him and made it hard to look into them.

“Thank you for that observation, Prowl.” Ratchet didn’t even try to hide his annoyance at Prowl’s interruption. “I know she doesn’t look human, but her genetic composition is still human for the most part. Even her flower extensions have human DNA in them.”

“So what does that tell us?”

“It tells us that Jezebel was human once.” Ratchet said. “According to Gina, Jezebel was the name of a Middle Eastern queen in ancient times, back when the Roma Empire was still around. We may not have concrete proof, but Bulkhead’s claims of some statements she made lends some credence to it. She might be that very same queen.”

Prowl heard of that as well. Jezebel worshipped an idol, the goddess Jubileus, who was an inspiration for the Church of Andraste’s religion. Fortitudo mentioned that name in reverence as he died. If this really was the same Jezebel from the Kingdom of Bagdad, then how did she become like this? Was she another one of the angels’ biological experiments?

As he pondered this, he looked at Wheeljack, who was studying the ring. The once bright lavender crystal rose was cracked down the middle, and had faded into black, probably the result of Annie separating it from her body. Upon a closer look, he could see tiny, barely visible roots along the inside of the ring, roots that had been buried in Annie’s finger and slowly infecting the girl with Jezebel’s essence while simultaneously leeching power from the girl. This information had been supplied by Annie herself, who was still suffering from the after-effects of being severed from Jezebel’s power. Ratchet actually had a hard time pulling Annie’s severed finger, which was still attached to the ring, out of the ring and its leeching roots.

Upon inquiry, Wheeljack had given the most basic answer possible. “I’ve got nothing. Whatever gave this ring its power, it’s gone now, as evidenced by the lack of color in the crystal. I’m getting some faint energy readings from the shards, which were similar to the readings Mjolnir and Nightshade’s bow gave off, so I can only assume they all run on the same energy source. I can only assume that this energy is also what turned Annie into that…thing.”

“Yes, but what is this energy? We keep running into it far too much for it to not be important.” Prowl grunted in frustration. He didn’t like being in the dark about things like this. He liked to be prepared, to have something to base his investigations on. It was moments like these that made him wish to be a mechaforensics officer again. “So many unknown variables. This planet is a hot zone and we don’t even know what we’re fighting against.”

“Knowing our luck, the answers will come to us sooner or later in the future.” Wheeljack sighed and looked at Prowl. “We’re doing our best here, but there’s only so much we can learn from corpses, Prowl.”

Prowl nodded. “I know, keep up the good work you two.”

He turned to leave the room, but Ratchet gave him some classic advice before he left. “Don’t push yourself too hard, Prowl. It won’t do you any good to be distracted by something we can’t answer by ourselves.”

‘That’s not my problem.’ Prowl thought. ‘My problem is that I’m not pushing myself hard enough.’

He was utterly amazed at how out of control things had gotten since they arrived on this world. Ever since the Minicons awakened, it seemed that a domino effect was set off, and one major thing was happening after another. Breaking protocol and exposing themselves to some of the natives, aliens hiding for thousands of years right under their noses, a human terrorist organization waging war on them. Too many rogue elements were involved and it irritated Prowl to no end that no one was at least trying to keep track of them all.

Prowl like having a plan, something to keep them on track and under control. It kept things orderly and clean, allowing him to focus on doing his job. But Optimus and the others seemed content with rushing forward and shooting their guns nonstop or were too busy fraternizing with the humans and Minicons to focus on fighting their enemies properly. When was the last time they actively tried locating the Decepticons’ headquarters, or even the Nemesis? Has anyone tried to get a straight answer as to how the Minicons obtained combiner technology in the first place? No one was asking the big questions, but that was why Prowl had this job, to look into these things and ascertain their threat level and overall effect on their mission on this planet.

They were fighting an unknown enemy with tremendous power, and Prowl was not going to sit by and wait for another one of those things to attack them. He had to go about this logically. Let the others run into battle like Wreckers on their suicide missions, he had his priorities straight, and that involved winning this war by any means necessary.

XXXXXX

Nightshade and Songbird flew over the snow covered mountaintops of the Gong Gong Mountains in Xing. It was deathly cold and windy, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t fly through. Thankfully the weather was clear, so she didn’t have to suffer flying through a snowstorm or something equally frustrating. The pair were on a routine energon scouting mission to replenish their dwindling reserves, thanks to the Autobots capturing and cleaning out the last mine they dug up and everyone was pulling double duty. Nightshade didn’t mind the extra work, as it saved her the trouble of having to go on a scavenger hunt for another damn Minicon. She was getting tired of being humiliated by the humans’ toy robots.

“ _Nightshade,”_ Blackout said over the comm. _“This is Blackout, do you copy?”_

“I hear you, Blackout. What is it?”

_“Search just detected a faint energy signature not too far from your position. It’s just a few kliks east of your current location.”_

“Copy that, I’ll go check it out.” She said.

 _“Um…shouldn’t you wait for back-up?”_ Blackout asked. _“Lord Megatron had specific orders for us to go in pairs.”_

“I know what his orders are, Blackout, I’m not a protoform. I can take care of myself.” Nightshade said sharply. “And I never said I was alone. Now send me the coordinates.”

_“Yes, ma’am.”_

Blackout transmitted the data to her and she adjusted her course to fly towards the location. It was even closer than she thought it was, and they almost flew right past it. That was odd to her, since her long range sensors should’ve detected something at this distance. Even as she approached the coordinates, which was a small mountain with a hole on top, none of her sensory arrays were giving any indication to any energy readings.

“Blackout, am I at the right place?”

After checking the satellite data he was linked to, he confirmed it. _“Yes, I triple checked the coordinates from the sat data. You’re right on top of it.”_

Narrowing her eyes, Nightshade switched modes and powerlinked with Songbird. She descended into the hole in the mountain’s peak and lowered herself inside. Strangely enough, the entire upper half of the mountain was hollowed out, too unnatural be the result of some geological event. Scanning the area for any threats, she landed in a deep pond of ice cold water at the bottom, now far enough from the hole that there was barely any light that reached the interior of the mountain.

The place had an artificial feeling to it, nothing to see; no formations, no caves, no tunnels, not even any animals. Just one giant cavern filled with ankle deep water. Cautiously she took a step forward and heard a rumble.

Nightshade leapt back and pointed her pulsar cannon at the bubbling water in front of her, but what rose out of the water wasn’t some creature or golem, it was a pedestal. Nightshade watched perplexed as a stone pedestal slowly rose up out of the water, reaching her height before stopping. The stone monolith had a cone-shaped energy field and floating inside it was a golden disk. A closer look showed that there were numerous symbols on the disk, and none of it looked terran.

“This is interesting.” She muttered and keyed her comm. “Blackout, come over to my position and call for the Nemesis. I think I’ve found something Megatron would like to see.”

XXXXXX

On the Nemesis, Megatron, Nightshade and Starscream stood around the golden disk that floated inside the stasis field. Diagnostic scans were run over every inch of it, recording the symbols and deciphering it in the ship’s computers under Knockout’s supervision.

“Are you sure it’s not of terran origin, Knockout?” Megatron asked, not taking his eyes off the disk.

“I’m 100 percent positive, my lord. This disk if made of a gold alloy similar to the metal found on this planet, but its composition shows that it’s been made using a highly advanced process that humans aren’t capable of performing yet.” Knockout explained. “This isn’t just some ancient relic, it contains data. And it’s alien.”

“Another worthless piece of junk then.” Starscream spat. “You should’ve chosen a seagull for your alt mode, Nightshade, if all you’re going to do is bring back trash.”

“Shut your mouth you second rate sky spawn!” She hissed.

“Quiet.” Megatron growled, silencing them. “Nightshade, was there anything in that cave that hinted at the disk’s origins?”

“No, I couldn’t find anything.” Nightshade said. “I had Search run thorough scans and everything, but that was it.”

Starscream scrunched up his face, glaring at the tiny symbols engraved on the disk. “We don’t have time to be fooling around with this thing. We need to be focusing on finding more energon. We’re still running low and we haven’t any sufficient deposits that can hold us.”

“Maybe if you spent less time strutting about the ship like you’re Megatronus himself and actually spent more time looking for energon, we’d be in a better position now.” Megatron said. Looking to Knockout, he asked, “Has the computer finished translating the data yet?”

Knockout checked the computer and frowned. “Some of it, my lord. Seems there’s quite a lot of data hidden on the disk.”

“What info has it translated already?” Nightshade asked.

“It looks like…coordinates.” He told them. Starscream perked up at that.

“Coordinates? To what?”

Knockout shrugged. “Not a clue. There isn’t much info to go on considering all of it is in alien lingo.”

“That’s not good enough, Knockout!” Starscream said, trying to assert his dominance over the medic, who didn’t even look worried. “Whatever is on that disk could spell our victory. Translate that data faster or-“

“Starscream!” Megatron’s voice was like steel and Starscream immediately straightened up. “You would do well to remember that I give the orders around here, not you.”

“Y-Yes, Megatron, I understand. My deepest apologies.” Starscream stammered and cleared his throat. “I shall go to these coordinates and investigate the location.”

“And I will go with you.” Nightshade said. She smirked at Starscream’s visible displeasure. “I’m a better tracker than you. It’ll make the search go faster.”

“I appreciate the help.” He said through gritted teeth.

Megatron snorted at the display. Things would go much smoother on this planet if his people weren’t trying to usurp each other like a bunch of animals vying for the position of alpha. This was a military strike team, not a pack of wolves in the animal kingdom.

“Nightshade, Starscream, take Flamewar and Blackout with you for backup in case things go wrong down there.” He said. “Be on your guard, we don’t know what we’re running into here.”

“You have nothing to worry about, Megatron. We will be on our…best guard.” Nightshade gave Starscream a side glance that didn’t encourage cooperation.

“We certainly will be.” He sneered back at her.

XXXXXX

The coordinates were located somewhere in Azteca, deep within the Amazon Rainforest. Nightshade, Starscream and their team had to search from the ground, with the trees being too thick to see through from the air. Flamewar’s tracking abilities came in handy here as she led them through the wet, murky rainforest without incident.

“You’re very good at navigating through the wilderness.” Blackout said.

“Of course I am.” She said, acting as if she expected him to be a bit impressed with her skills. It was only natural, really. “I’m a huntress, dear. Most of the creatures I’ve hunted tend to live in dense areas like this place, but a few trees and caves are not enough to hide from me.”

“Such a humble femme you are.” Grid, Starscream’s Minicon partner, muttered. He cursed when another bug flew in front of his face. “No wonder people loved you so much with a kind heart like that.”

“Watch it, little one. Most of the prey I’ve hunted are no bigger than you.” Flamewar warned.

“Ha! If that’s the case, then you aren’t a true huntress. Just one who likes to talk big and flaunt her tiny trophies like she accomplished something.” Starscream laughed and shook his head. “What a waste of talent.”

“Would you two shut up? We’re on a mission here?” Nightshade hissed. Flamewar noted that she looked a bit more frazzled than usual and smirked at her discomfort.

“Trouble in paradise, Nightshade?” Flamewar remarked.

“Silence, wench. Something’s not right here, ever since we’ve arrived to this part of the forest, there hasn’t been any sign of wildlife. No birds, no mammals, not even insects.” Nightshade said, narrowing her eyes. “Just silence.”

Now that she mentioned it, the others did realize that the usually noisy jungle was eerily quiet. For a place that harbored almost 30 percent of Terra’s fauna, the only sound that they heard was that of the wind rushing through the trees. Blackout kept his eyes open and scanned his surroundings for any signs of life.

After half an hour of walking through the thick vegetation, and listening to Starscream’s incessant grumblings about burning the rainforest to the ground after conquering the planet, they finally reached their destination-an ancient Meruvian city. It was larger than what the humans had previously discovered in past explorations of the region, and it was certainly larger than the other Meruvian cities discovered in the area.

Walking into the city, the Cons saw that much of the area was overrun with dense foliage that had grown over the buildings and the statues. Nature had reclaimed this place for itself, and it looked like it would stay this way for a long, long time.

“Nice place they have here.” Flamewar commented. “Think they have anything useful to steal?”

“It’s a human city, Flamewar. Of course they don’t have anything useful here.” Starscream said. “Just keep an eye on the statues. I swear, if one of them turns out to be a golem, I’m leveling this city with an air raid.”

“For once, we agree on something.” Nightshade said.

They traveled through the vine covered stone streets of the city towards the center, to where the coordinates indicated. Usually, large cities of the Meru Empire had a large pyramid in the center for worship and religious sacrifices. However, this particular city had a large dome instead, one that was made of solid gold and covered in symbols shockingly similar to the one found on the disk. Flamewar hummed in appreciation at the lavish décor of the structure.

“This looks like the place, all right.” She said.

“So we came all this way for a dusty old building?” Starscream glared at the dome as if it insulted him, which, in his mind, it probably did by just getting in his way. “What a waste of time.”

“No one cares if you’re frustrated, Starscream. There has to be something important about this place if the disk pointed us here.” Blackout said. “Your orders, Nightshade?”

Nightshade looked at the symbols on the exterior of the dome. Just from the difference in aesthetic alone, she could tell that this probably wasn’t built by the humans who lived here. Someone put this here long after the city fell.

“Blackout, shoot it.” She commanded.

Blackout raised his arm and fired his thunderclap cannon, blasting the side of the dome with a sonic blast that would’ve shattered stone on impact. To the Cons’ surprise, the blast did nothing to even scratch it, leaving only a tiny scorch mark that would be wiped away by the humidity.

“That crosses blasting our way in.” Nightshade muttered.

“I’m pretty sure Megatron wants this thing in one piece, Nightshade.” Flamewar said, fingering her crossbow.

“You’re assuming that we can even get inside. Besides, I feel like we should try to figure out what it is first before trying to take a peek.” She said and stepped up to the dome. She idly ran a finger along one of the symbols, but flinched back when she felt a sharp sting in her finger.

The minute her finger touched the dome, the symbols started to glow one by one. Nightshade took a step back, but a glowing white hand took hold of her arm and pulled her forward. Blackout reached for her, but Nightshade was already pulled into the dome before he could reach her, her body phasing through the wall like it was water. As soon as she was inside, the dome turned solid again and Blackout couldn’t break through it. He fired his cannon a couple of times, but it did nothing just like before.

“Nightshade!” Blackout yelled.

Flamewar looked at the dome with wide eyes. “What the hell just happened?”

“I don’t know but we need to call this in.” Blackout said. “Nightshade might be in trouble!”

Starscream was equally as shell shocked as the others, but his mind was worrying about something else entirely. In another circumstance, he would’ve been jumping for joy at Nightshade’s seeming demise. But he knew that Megatron would’ve found some way to blame him for this incident and he utterly dreaded having to explain this to him.

“Megatron is going to kill me.”

XXXXXX

For the past few days, Optimus had Teletran-1 monitoring global news networks and the internet for any unusual occurrences in the world. No one knew what he was looking for, not even Prime himself, but he remained alert for something that might happen. When he wasn’t doing that, he was keep an eye on the upcoming planetary alignment, which was in just a few hours. Only those who personally knew him, like Jazz, Ironhide and Ratchet, knew that Optimus was acting on instinct at this point, brought about by the Matrix.

“Optimus,” Sparkplug walked into the command center to speak with Prime. “Please, you need to take a break.”

“I can’t, Sparkplug. Not today.” Optimus said, not taking his eyes off the screen.

“You aren’t doing anyone any good by running yourself ragged. You need to settle down, Prime, your behavior is starting to worry the others.” The Minicon leader said. “You’re on the verge of giving Liftor a nervous breakdown with all this pacing and prep work.”

Optimus sighed and rubbed his eyes, turning to Sparkplug with a weary expression. “I’m sorry. It’s just that with everything happening all at once, I’ve been a bit…”

“Scatterbrained?” His little yellow friend supplied helpfully.

Optimus chuckled. “Yes, that.”

“Come and have some energon with me. Ironhide just replaced the tank an hour ago so it might taste good for once.”

“One can only hope.”

Suddenly the computer gave an alert, making Optimus sigh. When he checked the computer, his expression darkened, making Sparkplug frown. “What is it, Optimus?”

“It’s an encoded message.” Optimus said.

“From who?”

“Megatron.”

“Megatron?” Sparkplug looked up at Prime in surprise. “What does he want?”

Optimus read the message over, which was short and to the point, as was Megatron’s style. “He wants to mee me in person to discuss an important matter.”

“Alone?”

“No, I can bring one other person, and he will do the same.”

“This sounds fishy. Tell Megatron to frag off, Optimus, I don’t trust him.” Sparkplug said. Looking back up, he saw the contemplation in Prime’s face. “Don’t tell me you’re actually going to meet with him!”

“Megatron hates me with a passion, Sparkplug, and we barely exchange words outside of battle. He wouldn’t request to talk unless something happened that forced him into this situation.”

“Maybe you’re reading too much into this.” Sparkplug noted. Optimus couldn’t really deny that.

“Still, I must see what he wants.” Optimus said. “If this meeting is genuine, then something could be wrong. I’d be a fool to just dismiss this.”

He was well aware that this was risky, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was possibly something leading to a greater event that was much bigger than their skirmishes on this planet. For once, he hoped that he was wrong about that.

XXXXXX

The meeting place as set in the Xingese province of Yu Dao, which was known for its abundance of rice fields. It was early morning in the countryside, and the climate was humid and warm. Heavy mists kept the morning sunlight from reaching the ground, but it provided a rather good bit of scenery too. Optimus had to admire Megatron’s choice of the meeting location.

“I don’t like this, Prime. What if something happens?” Ironhide said, looking around. “We could be ambushed.”

“We’re in the middle of the rice fields. There’s no place to hide with the mist this shallow and we have clear view of our surroundings. It’ll be foolish to stage an ambush in a place this open.” Optimus said.

“It’s Megatron, he has a way of making the impossible possible.” Ironhide grumbled. “I swear, if this is some trick-“

“I can assure you, Autobot, this is no trick.”

Optimus and Ironhide saw Megatron and Soundwave walk out of the mists. Megatron stopped about two feet away from the Autobots, with Soundwave hanging back a bit. He was unconcerned about Ironhide pointing his cannons at him.

“All right, Megatron, we came just like you asked.” Ironhide growled. “Now what do you want?”

Megatron looked t the red Autobot like he was dirt at the bottom of his feet. “Optimus, you could’ve at least had the courtesy of muzzling your attack dog. His barking is already annoying me.”

Optimus kept Ironhide from lunging at Megatron with a firm hand on his shoulder. “Get to the point, Megatron. Why are we here?”

“I’m here to propose a truce.” Megatron said.

Optimus blinked, not sure if he was hearing things right. Ironhide was just as surprised as he was. “Excuse me?”

“A truce, Prime, a temporary one.” Megatron continued. “At least until we can defeat our shared enemy.”

“The angels.”

“You’ve seen what awesome power these beings have at their disposal. And you also know how far they’re willing to go to destroy us. I want to wipe these things out before they do the same to us.”

“You seem eager to take care of them, Megatron.” Optimus noted. “Speaking from experience?”

“Once, and like all my enemies, they were crushed beneath my feet.” Megatron said, deliberately vague on the details of that unpleasant encounter. “And recently, we’ve stumbled upon a possible structure that I think might be of use to us, although our attempts to enter it have been ineffective so far. I want to know whether there is a possible Cardinal resting there like the one on the floating island. Being an expert on all things spiritual, I figured that you were the mech to call.”

Optimus crossed his arms. “And how long do you think a truce between us will last?”

“Only as long as it’s mutually beneficial. It wouldn’t bode well for our respective armies if we were to perish at the hands of an alien force, would it?” Megatron smirked. “After fighting that last Cardinal, I am not privy to fighting another one, so I’m not taking any chances. We will work together just for this one occasion, then if there is no threat, we can go back to trying to kill each other.”

Ironhide looked at Optimus. “Prime, you’re not actually going to agree with this clown, are ya?”

“Ironhide, we both know how dangerous these creatures are. If this has some connection to them, then it’s worth investigating.” Optimus looked at Megatron. “Very well, Megatron, we have a truce. But if you betray us, not even Knockout will be able to put you back together.”

Megatron smiled. “Duly noted.”

XXXXXX

Optimus did not enjoy explaining the situation to the other Autobots. They all protested his decision to accept Megatron’s truce, especially Prowl, who threw a whole slew of potential scenarios of how this mission could go wrong. Jazz, though just as suspicious as everyone else, understood the circumstances and agreed with Optimus on his decision. This wasn’t just about the war anymore. Everyone’s survival was at stake.

The operation itself had to be handled carefully; Optimus would go with Prowl and Wheeljack to the coordinates Megatron supplied him. Taking a ground bridge to the heart of the Amazon, they followed his directions to the ancient Meruvian city they were informed about. Optimus and his companions were on constant guard, but he ordered his mechs not to fire unless fired upon. They found Megatron and Starscream at the large golden dome in the center of the city, with Soundwave running scans on it.

“Where’s Nightshade?” Prowl asked. “She’s always hanging over you like a shadow.”

“Nightshade is…preoccupied.” Starscream said, stepping forward. “I have been chosen to stand by Megatron’s side while she’s out playing golden retriever.”

Soundwave paused in his work and turned to the Autobots, eying their weapons. “Lower your weapons. We are not here to fight.”

“Forgive me if I find it hard to believe.” Prowl said.

“Stand down, Prowl.” Optimus walked up next to Megatron and looked up at the dome. “So this is the structure you were talking about?”

“Looks impressive, doesn’t it? Which means this wasn’t made by human hands.” Megatron remarked and turned to Soundwave. “Have you found anything yet, Soundwave?”

“Negative, Megatron, there are no visible entrances I can detect, and the dome extends underground as well, barring any attempts to dig underneath it.” Soundwave said.

“So it’s a giant sphere, then.” Wheeljack said. “My, things are getting more and more interesting today, aren’t they?”

“Have you tried entering it the old fashioned way?” Prowl asked, keeping his hand near his blaster.

Megatron wordlessly raised his fusion cannon and fired it at the dome. To the Autobots’ surprise, the beam’s energy was completely deflected by the dome. “Does that answer your question?”

Optimus narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, feeling the Matrix hum faintly in his chest. He reached out and slowly touched the dome, ready to move if something went wrong.

As expected, then his contact with the dome caused a reaction, but this was different. Not only did the symbols glow like before, the entire dome began to tremble.

“What’s going on?!” Starscream stammered.

“We should be asking that question!” Prowl growled.

Optimus stepped back and saw a glow coming from within his chest. “The Matrix? What’s…ah!”

Optimus doubled over as the Matrix burned painfully in his chest, just as the dome glowed brighter and brighter, enough to force those present to cover their eyes from the glow. The part of the dome in front of Optimus opened up and four tendrils of light grabbed his arms and legs and started dragging him inside.

“Optimus!” Wheeljack fired his blaster, but the laser blasts were deflected by the tendrils. Prowl ran to aid his leader, trying to hit the tendrils with his shock batons, but he was smacked away and knocked onto his back. Even Megatron tried shooting them, but his fusion blast was blocked with relative ease. All their attacks were being deflected by some force field around Optimus.

“What is this?” Megatron muttered in shock.

Optimus continued to struggled against the bonds that restrained him, but there was little he could do with the Matrix having him in constant pain. He was dragged into the door of light and the dome’s opening closed behind him, leaving a seamless wall behind once more.

“Prime!” Prowl shot at the dome, but his blaster did little to no damage. He turned his gun on Megatron, making Soundwave and Starscream point their weapons at him. “I knew it was a trap! This is exactly the sort of thing you would do!”

“Stop whining, Autobot! This isn’t my doing.” Megatron sneered. “The same thing happened to Nightshade.”

“Nightshade? But how…” Wheeljack realized what that meant. “You mean she’s in there too?”

“It was her fault for touching the damn thing. If she just stayed away, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” Starscream hissed. “We thought Prime’s Matrix could at least get her out of there, but apparently even that thing was no more useful than a rusting turbofox.”

“I figured this whole truce was just another way to help yourself.” Prowl circled around Megatron. “Even when there’s a third party trying to kill all of us, you’re still trying to win this war.”

“Don’t act like you’re any different, Prowl. Your hands are just bloodstained as mine.” Megatron replied. “Now put that gun away before I shove it down your throat!”

“Go ahead and try it!”

“Megatron,” Soundwave called his leader. “Something is happening with the dome.”

The assembled cybertronians looked at the dome, which was still glowing and emitting a dull hum like a tuning fork on a low octave. The ground in front of the dome rumbled before something large broke free from the ground and climbed out of the hole it made. The figure stood to its full height, towering over most of the people there save for Megatron.

It was another angel, a humanoid figure clad in red and gold armor from head to toe, wielding a large golden broadsword and a red shield with gold highlights along the outer rim. It had a bird-like head that was also covered in a slender helmet and stomped forward with its sword raised to the two teams.

“I am Ardor, proud warrior of Her Grace and defender of this sanctum.” He pointed his sword at Megatron. “You are not welcome here, aliens. For trespassing on sacred ground, I shall smite you all where you stand.”

“Be my guest.” Megatron grinned. “I welcome a good distraction.”

XXXXXX

Optimus groaned as he laid face down on what felt like a platform, but saw only a large nebula cloud keeping him stable. Sitting up, he looked around at his surroundings, which was just a wide expanse of darkness as far as the eye can see. It was like he was in the middle of a void, drifting in outer space, without any stars in the stellar horizon. Unsettled by the silence, Optimus took another look around and spotted something else next to him.

“Nightshade?” Optimus blinked and knelt down over her, gently patting her face to rouse her. “Nightshade, wake up.”

She groaned and her eyes flickered online, briefly glancing around before her purple eyes focused on Optimus hovering over her. Nightshade grimaced and pushed him away.

“The first thing I see in this place is your face. This really must be hell.” She muttered, standing up.

“Forgive me for not being Megatron.” Optimus said and crossed his arms. “Now are you going to tell me what you’re doing here?”

“I was trying to figure out what this thing was before I was grabbed and dragged into this place.” Nightshade said, and she smiled. “I’m guessing Megatron brought you along thinking you know some way to open the dome?”

“That’s a good possibility, if not a risky one to take.” Optimus said. “I didn’t think he’d take such a gamble to free you.”

“If it makes you feel any better, you weren’t much better at all.” Nightshade commented and looked around. She frowned and shook her wings. “Why does it feel like we’re being watched?”

“Probably because we are.” Optimus replied.

Suddenly the two cybertronians were assailed by a powerful pressure that weighed down on them. Optimus and Nightshade were forced to their knees, unable to remain standing in the face of a powerful aura. It was like being in the deepest part of the ocean with water pressing down on them at all angles. Then as quickly as it appeared, the pressure stopped and the weary soldiers stood up again.

“What the hell was that?” Nightshade hissed.

“The ruler of this place.” Optimus guessed. That was nothing natural, someone was flexing their muscles at them.

 **“So we meet at last, Optimus Prime,”** Said a woman’s voice, cold and regal, like a queen’s. It came from everywhere, and was loud enough to make their body’s rattle right down to their steel bones. **“The one who leads the invasion of my world.”**

“Who speaks to us?” Optimus called out. “Show yourself!”

“And you better make it snappy. Neither of us are in the mood to play charades.” Nightshade said.

For a moment, there was silence, and then a giant ball of light, like a sun, appeared before them. The light morphed into a giant golden face; it had the feminine features of a human female and wore an elaborate headdress that enhanced her inhuman beauty. She looked down at Optimus and Nightshade like a goddess would a mortal-as if they were insignificant, feeble, and altogether, weak. She treated them like the Decepticons treated all organics-as if they were barely worth more than their names.

 **“I am Jubileus, Mother of the Hierarchy of Laguna and the one true God.”** She declared. **“I am that I am.”**

XXXXXX

Megatron and Ardor swung their swords at each other and their blades clashed with a metallic clang. Megatron was knocked back a few feet from the strength of Ardor’s attack, his arm vibrating a bit from the force of the blow. Despite this, he grinned at the thought of a great battle. He hated these things with a passion, but damn if they didn’t offer a good fight.

Ardor lunged at Megatron, but Soundwave and Starscream opened fire on him, pelting his extravagant armor with laser bolts and concussion blasts. Stumbling back a bit, Ardor raised his shield to block the weapons fire and then lifting his sword to deflect a rear strike from Prowl’s batons. Wheeljack cracked his energo-whip and wrapped it around his neck, pulling as hard as he could to drag him to his knees.

“Fool!” Ardor bellowed and kicked Prowl in the chest with a large foot. He spun around and slashed his sword at Wheeljack, who ducked to avoid being beheaded. He then charged right at the two Cons.

“Kill it, kill it!” Starscream hollered. He changed to jet mode and fired two missiles at Ardor, only for them to hit the angel’s shield. Soundwave fired three rockets from his launcher and got a direct hit on Ardor’s body, but he still kept coming.

“Rumble, Frenzy, deploy!” Soundwave fired the two mechs from his chest and stepped back.

Frenzy struck first, unleashing his sonic scream to stop the armored warrior in his tracks. Rumble charged, flanking him to deliver a strong punch that would’ve pulverized regular metal and stone. However, Ardor was more powerful than they thought. He forced his body to move, spinning around and slashing at Rumble just as he struck with his pile drivers. The golden sword easily sliced through Rumble’s arm, severing it and stunning Rumble long enough to Ardor to kick him aside.

Ardor turned back to face Frenzy, his sword beginning to glow. He slashed and released a horizontal energy wave that slammed into Frenzy and sent him crashing into a building. Ardor quickly raised his shield and blocked the fusion beam Megatron shot at him. A beam that could blast a hole in a mech as big as Ultra Magnus was blocked by a shield that wasn’t even enhanced by energon.

“You all attack me over and over again even though you know it’s futile.” Ardor said, spinning his word around. “I don’t know if you creatures or brave or just too stupid to realize how outmatched you are.”

“It’s a little bit of both!” Wheeljack shot two shells from his shoulder cannons at Ardor’s face. They were both shrapnel warheads that exploded and riddled his head and upper chest with razor sharp filaments that dug deep into his armor. Wheeljack then snared his shield with his whip and pulled as hard as he could.

But Ardor didn’t go down easily. He pulled his shield arm back and wrenched Wheeljack forward off his feet, slamming his armored fist into Wheeljack’s face and sent him hurtling back nearly twelve feet down the street until hitting a statue and knocking it over.

“Wheeljack!” Prowl ran to help his friend, leaving Ardor with the Decepticons.

“Now,” He said menacingly. “Who’s next?”

XXXXXX

The golden face of Jubileus sat before them like the sun, her eyes staring straight into their souls as if casting judgment upon them. Behind her, thousands of copies of her head appeared, some close, some far, others merely tiny points of light in the distance. Soon the entire void was filled with copies of her heads like a wall of stars, and they all stared at Optimus and Nightshade with the same piercing gaze.

“So,” Optimus said, keeping his voice calm. This presence, her very aura felt oppressive, suffocating, but he did not show fear, and was glad to see Nightshade doing the same. “You are the one Fortitudo spoke of.”

 **“The Cardinals are my will given form, my sword through which I smite those who threaten my law. They are like me in all but form.”** Jubileus glared won at them. **“To stand against them, is to stand against me.”**

Optimus knew that trying to convince her that he meant no harm was near impossible. He didn’t know what she was or where she came from, only that she was a powerful being who sought to kill his friends and destroy everything he cared about, and he wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Whatever we did to anger you so, know that we did not mean to do it intentionally.” He appeased to her. “We had no idea of your presence on this world when we came here.”

 **“And now you know, and you will die here knowing of the travesties you have brought upon my world.”** She said in darker tone. **“I will not have aliens born of metal disrupt my Divine Plan for this world. Terra will be the cusp of my evolution and there is nothing you can do.”**

“Apparently being divine also means you’re hard at hearing. You aren’t the first whack job to call herself a god, and you’ll die just like the others.” Nightshade growled.

 **“We are the gods of light and darkness, chaos and order, the people of the Oracle who have learned to harness the essence of life itself, Quintessence. With your power and might, we will achieve enlightenment and shed these forms to become even greater, and those who acknowledge us shall share that splendor. Those who refuse will be struck down, just like you.”** Jubileus declared, her voice coming from a thousand mouths speaking at once. **“Who are you to defy the Word of God?”**

“You’re insane. You truly believe yourself to be gods.” Optimus grunted. “Who are you to rule over these people? Who do you think you are to enforce your will upon others under the guise of divinity?”

**“We are the dolems, and Terra is just one of many worlds we have blessed with our presence. Other races have bent to our will and this world will be no exception. And you cybertronians, who burn everything you touch, will be an example for those who resist our efforts of obtaining the ultimate evolution.”**

‘Primus, there are more of these things across the galaxy?’ Nightshade thought, giving Optimus a glance. “What do you mean by example?”

 **“You can feel it, can’t you, Optimus Prime? The alignment of the nine planets.”** Jubileus smiled. **“When the planets join as one, the Cardinals of the North and South will awaken and annihilate you aliens right down to the last pitiful soul. And they won’t stop until your bodies are sent back to the earth from where they came!”**

XXXXXX

“Wheeljack!” Prowl ran up to Wheeljack, who was lying in a pile of rubble, half conscious and groaning. “Answer me, Wheeljack, are you alright?”

Wheeljack groaned and held his aching head, which rang like a church bell. Ardor punched like a wrecking ball. “I can still remember my name if that’s what you’re asking.”

Prowl helped Wheeljack to his feet and looked back at the Cons.

Megatron was still fighting Ardor in melee combat, and it was clear that Ardor was much faster than him. Reading his movements and attack patterns, Ardor blocked or deflected many of his strikes and didn’t seem to be keen on giving Megatron time to breathe. Soundwave and Starscream kept their distance, dealing damage with long range attacks. Energy blasts chipped away at his armor, but for the most part, Ardor remained undamaged. Whenever he pushed Megatron away, Ardor would slash an energy wave at them to force them back. Starscream had already taken a serious blow to the chest and was barely keeping up with the battle.

“Any plans for taking that thing down?” Wheeljack asked. Prowl shushed him.

“I’m thinking.” Prowl took a good look at Ardor’s body. Like all armor, there had to be small seams near the joints for the wearer to move fluidly. He could see those very seams in its armor, but they were small and too well protected to fire lasers at them. That meant getting in close, which was also a problem given that both sword and shield were dangerous at close range, not to mention of Ardor’s supernatural strength. That just left one unconventional method…

“We’re going to have to do hit and run maneuvers.” Prowl said, lifting his electric batons. They were useless against that kind of armor, but aside from his blaster, it was all he had on hand.

“Prowl, you won’t be able to get close without getting cut in half or punted across the city. You’re going to need something with a little more kick to it.” Wheeljack reached into one of his many hip compartments and pulled out fire tiny objects. He flicked his fingers and showed Prowl his secret weapon.

Prowl raised a ridge at Wheeljack’s solution. “Ninja stars?”

If Wheeljack had a mouth, he could be grinning. “Exploding ninja stars. It was going to be a gift to Jazz, but I think he won’t mind if we use them ahead of time.”

Megatron and Ardor were still locked in combat, their blades ringing each time they hit each other and the ground littered with deep gouges from Ardor’s golden sword hitting it whenever it missed a cut. Soundwave charged at Ardor from behind and fired a concussion blast into his back, blasting off a few pieces of armor, but took a punch to the face that shattered his optic visor. Starscream rushed in and stabbed Ardor in the back, sinking his bayonet right into his stony flesh, and was backhanded for his troubles.

Megatron used this distraction to leapt up and bring his blade down on Ardor’s shield arm, cutting it off at the elbow. He grinned as he saw the limb fall to the ground with the shield and backpedaled to gain some distance.

“You feel the pain, don’t you?” Megatron taunted. “Where’s your divine protection now?”

   “Insolent fool!” Ardor hissed and swung at Megatron, who ducked under his blade. “Not even your heathen gods can save you when I’m done with you all!”

Ardor swung his sword again and Megatron quickly grabbed the shield from the ground, which covered his entire body. The sword hit the shield and Megatron remained unharmed, though the blow sent him flying back across the courtyard. Ardor marched towards Megatron, its sword glowing as it prepared to fire another energy blade, when three pointed stars stabbed into its arm.

“Hmm?” Ardor looked at the tiny stars embedded in his arm, and suddenly had a face full of flames as they exploded in his arm, blasting his armor apart and taking out a chunk of his arm.

Prowl ran to Ardor’s left, throwing three of his own stars with pinpoint speed and accuracy. They stabbed into Ardor’s arm and another explosion engulfed Ardor’s body. More armor was destroyed, and he was even more damaged than before. Even still, he was still slashing energy blasts at Prowl, tearing apart large swaths of land before a falling rock caught Prowl in the back of the head, staggering him. Ardor kicked Prowl into the rubble and slashed at Wheeljack, who was almost cut in half by the large sword.

“I am a soldier of God! You weapons cannot kill me!” Ardor roared. “No one can shatter the divine protection that Her grace has given me!”

“Just shut up!” Megatron shouted.

Megatron fired his fusion beam into Ardor’s back, blasting him into one of the stone houses and had it collapse on him. He walked over to the fallen warrior, who was still alive, if just barely. That one shot to his unprotected back had destroyed most of Ardor’s torso, revealing the complex network of crystalline veins and his pulsating crystal heart, a smooth red orb that had a rapidly fading glow.

“I…my sacrifice will not be…in vain…” Ardor rasped. He was barely able to move his head. “She…will kill every last…one of you monsters…our glorious…”

“Go preach it to the choir.” Megatron pointed his cannon at Ardor’s head and fired one last blast that destroyed his head.

“You’re welcome by the way.” Wheeljack called out. Prowl glared at him and he said, “What? I just wanted some recognition for my part in this.”

Megatron paid them no mind. He wasn’t here for the Autobots, he was here for his lieutenant. Looking at the dome, he knew conventional weapons would have no effect on it, not even his fusion cannon.

‘But what about unconventional weapons?’ Megatron thought, looking at Ardor’s golden sword lying next to his corpse.

XXXXXX

“Cardinals?” Nightshade stared up at Jubileus’ face with wide eyes. “You mean there are more of those things?”

 **“The four Cardinals are born in the four corners of the world, resting within their domains until the promised day. But your presence on this planet has caused them to awaken before they were meant to, and so my hand is forced.”** The goddess said. **“But they will do their duty to me, and that is ridding this world of your kind so that humanity will evolve untainted by your sin.”**

“Why don’t you do it yourself?” Optimus asked. He was getting tired of her divine chatter. He had dealt with people like her in the past, people who had caused so much misery because they were doing “God’s will”. “You are an all powerful being, snuffing us out should be no problem for you.”

“ **If I had my body, I’d do just that. But alas, I am but a shadow of my former self, and I must give this noble task to my Cardinals. They will awaken when the planets align and then hunt down your factions to annihilate them with the might of the Host itself.”**

“You won’t have us!” Nightshade screamed. “We will kill your precious Cardinals just like we did with the dragon.”

“ **So I will send more soldiers.”** Jubileus replied easily. “ **Our numbers are legion. You may fight and win a battle, but eventually you will fall. I will get what I want and that is for to achieve the ultimate form of evolution and shed our physical bonds. But first, I must eradicate you aliens and cleanse this world of your taint. That is my will, so says the Goddess of Light.”**

There was a loud rumble from outside and cracks started to form in the dome.

“What was that?” Nightshade asked.

“Our friends.” Optimus smiled.

Outside, Megaton hefted Ardor’s heavy sword onto his shoulder with Soundwave’s help. Feeling the power flowing through it invigorated Megatron and he swung it again, releasing another energy wave that hit the damaged surface of the dome with a loud bang. The damage the dome was taking clearly effected both its defense systems and Jubileus herself, as evidenced by her projections vanishing with large groups. Optimus couldn’t help but liken the scene to watching stars die in the distance.

“ **So even in the face of God you still defy me** ,” Jubileus was nonplussed by her fading apparitions. “ **Never have I seen mortals as foolish as you are.”**

“You’d be surprised how people act when you push them into a corner.” Optimus remarked.

“ **You will not be able to escape. Nothing happens on this world without me knowing.”**

“Watch us.” Nightshade shot back as she took out Gandiva and fired an hour, taking out the wall in one shot. They ran through the hole they made, though Optimus took one last look at Jubileus before leaving the dome.

Jubileus let them go; she could’ve stopped them, but she had little power to hold them indefinitely. It didn’t matter anyway, others will do her work, carry out her wishes. She knew where they lived now, and the Cardinals will strike them so hard that no one will ever retaliate against her kind again. Killing them would be a mercy. No, she will break them and spread their ashes across the cosmos before focusing on this planet’s evolution. Salvation was within their grasp, and the aliens were standing in their way.

 **“You may run, Prime,”** She said as the last of her apparitions faded into darkness, leaving on her face in the void. **“But I will find you, catch you, and burn your body and soul into ashes with my purifying light…”**

Her face slowly disappeared into nothingness as the dome started crumbling to dust.

XXXXXX

“Prime, you’re alive!” Wheeljack exclaimed, patting Optimus’ shoulder. “Thank Primus you’re all right, I was starting to think we were screwed.”

“Nice to see you have faith, Wheeljack.” Prowl said dryly.

Nightshade walked over to Megatron, who nodded his head to her. She knew he was relieved to see her, though he didn’t show it. She was one of the chosen few he trusted, and Nightshade was too great an asset to lose in this war. She was also happy to see a glint of relief in his eyes as well.

“Good to see you’re still operational, Nightshade.” Starscream said, waltzing up to her. “We all thought you had perished.”

“You would think that, wouldn’t you?” Nightshade sneered and turned to Megatron. “As much as I like to chat, we better get back to the Nemesis. We need to raise our defenses.”

“For what?” Megatron asked. He saw the faint panic in her face and wondered what she had seen in that dome. “Who are you expecting an attack from? The Autobots?”

“No, something much worse.”

“She’s right Megatron.” Optimus said. “These creatures, they call themselves the Dolems. Two Cardinals, each as powerful as Fortitudo, are about to awaken when the planets align and are set to head towards our respective bases.”

“You lie! It took all of us just to fight that last beast, and now we have two on the way?” Starscream exclaimed. “We can’t fight them on our own!”

“Try to grow a spine, Starscream. We don’t have a choice!” Megatron growled. He turned to his archenemy. “What is this Prime? An uncoordinated attack on both our forces?”

“No,” Optimus replied grimly. “It is a declaration of war.”

XXXXXX

Sitting in the middle of the North and South poles were obelisks, pillars of black onyx, similar to the one on the floating island of Brigadoon. Their age, and how they came to be was known only to the frozen tundra that harbored them, for they have stood sentinel over their respective zones for millennia. No one knew they existed here, and no one would know what their presence entailed for the people of Terra at large.

In the vast expanse of outer space, the planets slowly drifted into their alignment. An event that happened once every ten thousand years, the planets of the Sol system; Mercury, Venus, Terra, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, all fell into perfect alignment. It was a sight to behold for astronomers and stargazers, but no human knew of its metaphysical impact on the obelisks on Terra.

The gravitational pull of all the planets combined surged through Terra, beginning and ending at the poles. The obelisks, which have sat in place undisturbed for longer than humankind’s existence on this planet, began to glow. The ancient, inhuman symbols that layered their smooth surfaces were illuminated and started to crackle with energy. They began to vibrate, giving a low hum that reverberated throughout the thick ice. Both obelisks released a massive wave of energy that flowed through the earth, surging through the atmosphere and encompassing the planet from both sides. Of course, the humans never saw this energy, as it was invisible, but those certain individuals, most notably espers, felt something wash over them, like an electrical charge that ran through their bodies.

And deep within a secret compound in Osea, two generals looked to the sky, their eyes glowing a deep amber, and smiled at the sign. It was happening.

Once the entire world had been saturated in this energy wave, the obelisks exploded in brilliant flashes of light, and from the blast point, large monstrous forms emerged from the ice. The creature from the South Pole crashed through the glaciers that held its body and jumped into the ocean, its large form moving through the water like a giant shark. The entity from the north rose high above the hole it created in its escape and floated over the icy plains of the Arctic. Both creatures, separated by thousands of miles, move at the same time for different locations on the planet, ready to accomplish their missions.

The Cardinals have awakened and the storm has just begun.

 

 


	35. The Tempest part 1

Chapter 34-The Tempest part 1

The minute Optimus and his team returned to the Ark, he ordered all teams out on the field back to the Ark to await further orders while issuing a Code: Red emergency. Once the Autobots and Minicons were assembled in the command center, he gave a detail summary of the events that just transpired in Azteca. He told them the identity of the beings who were hunting them down, the dolems, who sought to achieve perfect godhood by way of manipulating other races as biological experiments. He also mentioned of their goddess’s intent of annihilating all aliens on the planet. Prowl finished off with the coming threat of the Cardinals that were aiming to take out both Autobots and Decepticons.

“Hold up, you mean we have another one of those freaky things heading our way?” Skyfire said, her voice a bit squeaky. “We barely survived that two headed dragon that tried to crunch us!”

“Jubileus made it very clear that we’re in her way and thus has marked us for death.” Optimus said. “Two Cardinals have already awoken following the planetary alignment. One is heading our way, while the other is heading towards the Nemesis. It’s an assault on two fronts to wipe us out in one fell swoop.”

“That explains the massive energy surges Teletran detected at the North and South poles.” Ratchet said. “They happened just a few minutes before you got back.”

“Then we don’t have a nanosec to spare! We gotta move this ship before that thing finds us.” Ironhide said.

“If the Cardinal is already tracking us, then moving the ship won’t be enough. It’ll chase us to the ends of this planet, and probably even beyond if need be.” Wheeljack said.

“Then can the Ark’s weapons handle that thing?” Ironhide demanded.

“Maybe, but it’s not a battleship, Ironhide. One solid hit and this thing will go down.” Wheeljack told him.

“And we can’t risk our ship being spotted by the humans or their satellites in orbit. Using the Ark must be a last resort, Ironhide.” Optimus said. He looked at Ratchet. “Ratchet, have Teletran monitor any strange anomalies that might be heading our way. I want to locate that Cardinal before it even reaches the Osean continent.”

“I’m right on it, Optimus.” Ratchet nodded and went for the terminal.

“Optimus, what about the children? The weather outside has been getting worse since you guys came back and I’m worried about them.” Arcee said.

“The last thing I want is to bring the children anywhere near the Ark with the Cardinal targeting us, but…” Optimus had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that told him he should take this chance. The weather was nearing hurricane levels outside and it was only going to get worse as the day went on. “Take Bumblebee and Jolt with you to get them along with the Street Action Team. I don’t want any Autobot or Minicon outside this ship unprotected.”

“Understood, Bee, you’re with me.” Arcee said as she and Bumblebee ran out of the room.

As Optimus gave his orders, Prowl had something else in mind and called out to Ratchet. “Ratchet, I need you to do something for me.”

“Prowl, I don’t have the time to be doing any errands for you.” The medic said but Prowl shook his head.

“Don’t worry, it won’t take away from your work. I just want you to track the second Cardinal coming from the South Pole when you finally locate them.” Prowl requested. Ratchet turned back and gave Prowl a look.

“You want me to track the second Cardinal? It’s heading towards the Nemesis!” Ratchet said.

“Exactly, if we track it, then we can possibly lead us to the Decepticons’ headquarters.” Prowl reasoned.

“Prowl, we’re on the verge of being attacked by a powerful alien being. The Decepticons are the least of our worries.”

“They’re the main reason we’re on this planet, Ratchet. Don’t forget that we’re fighting a war here, not lounging around on some exploration mission. Most of you seem to have forgotten that little fact.” Prowl whispered harshly. He spun Ratchet back around and pointed at the screen. “This might be our only chance to find the location of their base, and that Cardinal might be the key. This is a simple task that won’t take away from your job. We can worry about the information later.”

Ratchet was both surprised and not surprised that Prowl would go to these lengths to get one over on the Decepticons. For all his stoic level-headedness, Prowl had an almost zealous drive to defeat the Cons in any way possible, even when something else of great importance was happening.

“I assume Optimus doesn’t know about your plan?” Ratchet asked. He knew that Prowl liked to take things into his own hands to “lighten” Prime’s load.

“I’ll tell him later, Ratchet,” Prowl assured him. “But right now, I need to know if you can do this for me.”

Ratchet sighed and pushed Prowl’s hands away. “I’ll do it, Prowl, just in case this actually works. Now if you’ll kindly let me get back to work.”

“Right, thank you, Ratchet.” Prowl said and walked out of the room.

Ratchet shook his head at the tactician. He knew Prowl wasn’t one to let his emotions get in the way of his duty, but his almost condescending attitude towards those who don’t keep their minds on the mission was something that needed to be watched carefully. Prowl may be an Autobot, but he often lets logic dictate his unethical and immoral actions to justify reaching the end goal. And that kind of thinking does more harm than good.

XXXXXX

“This is dull.”

Annie said it in passing a few minutes ago, and Darren found himself agreeing with her. They sat in the school auditorium with the rest of the students in their grade and higher waiting for someone to get them. As it turned out, the light rainfall that morning had evolved into a freak hurricane that had winds blowing so violently that some trees were uprooted. The rain got worse every hour and the winds became so strong that all of the windows on the third floor of the school shattered from the sheer force of them, injuring some students unlucky enough to be near them. Parents were called and one by one the students were taken home to ride out the storm.

“The news never said that we were having a storm today.” Darren said.

“Since when did you put stock in the news?” Annie snorted and leaned back on her hands, hissing a bit when she put too much weight on her still bandaged hand. “They’re never right about the weather these days.”

Gina smiled at Annie’s attitude, glad she was back to normal. She almost had a heart attack when she heard about the brutal fight they had and almost cried when she saw their injuries. Annie was missing a finger that once held the cursed ring that possessed her, and Darren almost had a concussion followed by broken bones. The twins had made a full recovery, but Darren couldn’t move too much without coughing or putting some strain on his body.

Darren listened to the other kids talking about the storm. Like him, they weren’t expecting the weather to turn out this badly, and some were worried about getting home safely.

“I heard there was a hurricane passing over us.”

“A hurricane? No one ever said anything about a hurricane!”

“I just heard from my homeroom teacher that the entire Osean continent is getting doused in weather like this. I’ve never seen a hurricane this bad before.”

“Didn’t the news say that Azteca was getting the same treatment down there too?”

“I hope my mom will be alright getting here. Three people already had accidents in this hour alone trying to drive through this storm.”

Gina bit her lip and tapped her foot to ignore the muttering children around her. She hated being stuck in situations like this, where she couldn’t do anything and that big brain of hers was basically useless. Though, she shouldn’t be surprised, given that few things can stop Mother Nature, and man was not one of them.

“Hey,” Darren gripped her hand. “You doing alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit anxious, that’s all.” Gina took a deep breath to calm herself. “I don’t want my mom to drive through that mess outside for me. If something happened to her out there…”

“She’ll be fine. Your mom’s a smart woman, she’ll be careful in this weather.” Darren said.

“Where’s Kevin and Penny?” Annie asked. “I don’t see them anywhere.”

“Penny’s dad and Kevin’s aunt picked them up before we came here. Apparently they got the right idea about this weather causing hell on the roads and got them out before it got worse.” Darren said.

A loud rumble of thunder made everyone flinch. “Do you think Debbie will be able to pick us up?” Gina asked.

“I’m sure she will. Though I’m worried about High Wire and Sureshock.” Annie said. “I can just imagine what it’s like for them out there.”

“Darren, Annie, Gina!” Someone called out.

The kids turned to see Debbie walking down the aisle towards them. They grabbed their things and got up to meet her. Debbie pulled the three into a tight hug when they reached her.

“I’m so glad you’re all okay. I tried to get here as soon as possible, but the streets were too slippery to drive fast over.” She said. “Get your coats on, I’m taking you kids back home.”

“Debbie, is my mom okay?”

“Don’t worry, Gina, your mother gave me a call saying she won’t be able to make it earlier. I told her I could pick you up myself and you can stay over until the storm passes.”

“Sweet, you’re sleeping over!” Annie grinned and threw an arm around her friend’s shoulders. “You get to share the same bed as Darren! His room is spacey so it shouldn’t be a tight squeeze for you.”

Gina blushed and elbowed Annie in the ribs. “J-Jinkies, Annie, could you not!”

“Annie, behave.” Darren said before turning to his sister. “Now can we leave before we get stuck here to?”

“Sure, let’s go.”

The kids go their coats on and quickly made their way through the school towards the side exit near the parking lot. As soon as they made it outside, after struggling to push the door open with the strong winds pushing against it, they were greeted with the chaotic sight of heavy rains pouring down, lightning flashing in the sky and hurricane force winds blowing so hard that the trees were starting to bend. Annie yelped as she was almost blown over by a huge gust of wind.

“I didn’t know there was going to be a breeze today!” She yelled over the winds.

“Not now, Annie!” Gina replied as she helped the girl along.

It took them a few minutes to brave the strong winds to get to the car, even with Darren blocking most of the rain and wind with a telekinetic bubble, but they managed to reach Debbie’s car in one piece. The elder Radcliffe unlocked the car and ushered the kids inside before getting behind the wheel and switching the heater on.

“Hey, where are the Minicons?” Annie asked, frowning at how wet the bandages on her hand were.

“Ratchet gave me a call earlier and said he bridged them to the Ark a few minutes ago.” Debbie said as she drove out of the parking lot. “He said that Arcee and Bumblebee are on their way here as well.”

“Okay, and we’re leaving the school anyway because…?” Annie said looking for an answer.

“If we stay, we’ll get stranded here when the weather becomes too dangerous to drive through. And I’m sure no one here wants to spend the night inside a school.” Debbie smiled when she saw the twins vigorously shake their heads. “Good, then I can get us back soon if I drive carefully.”

Easier said than done. The downtown area was completely deserted as they drove through it, and everything was being pelted by heavy rains and rough winds. Dakote had its occasional hurricane or typhoon, but nothing as bad as this.

Thankfully Debbie didn’t take long to pass through downtown and reached the bridge that crossed the river into the suburbs. It was here that Debbie had to be careful, and so she slowed down a little to maintain some control as she drove along. Wet roads meant no traction for the wheels and that was just an accident waiting to happen. They made it about half way before something that should’ve been impossible-lightning struck twice.

A lightning bolt hit the ground in front of the car, and it took Debbie by surprise. She swerved a bit to avoid the hole in the road, but started to lose control when the car began to skid across the bridge. Debbie gripped the wheel and tried every trick in the book to regain control and for a moment, she did, righting the car on a straight path again. But another bolt, this one more accurate, hit the front of the car dead center, destroying the engine and sending the car into another spiral that sent them crashing into one of the support cables. The cable snapped and half of the car tipped over the edge, balancing on its axel like a dangerous see-saw with the front of the car facing the rushing waters down below.

Debbie held her breath and didn’t take another until she heard the groaning of the car stop and felt the car stop swaying for the moment. She let out a shaky breath and turned to the kids. “I-is everyone okay?”

“I’m fine.” Annie breathed, her heart pounding noisily in her chest. “Gina, Darren, you good?”

“We’re in one piece, but Darren got cut over his eye.” Gina said, pressing a tissue into Darren’s right eyebrow. They jumped a bit when the car started to sway again. “We’re stuck, aren’t we?”

“We are,” Debbie admitted. “But so long as nothing pushes us too hard, we should be alright.”

“With the wind blowing this hard? That’s suicide.” Annie looked out the window and cursed when she saw that there was no solid ground on her side. “All in favor of bailing out?”

“Annie, we can’t jump out!” Darren said. “If we move, we fall over.”

“If we wait, we fall over. There’s nothing else we can do.” She replied.

Lightning struck the cables and then hit the ground near the car. It blasted away the stone holding them up and the weak support keeping them from falling started to fail. Debbie panicked and tried to get the car in reverse, but with the rear wheels off the ground they weren’t moving anywhere but down. When she saw the river below them, Debbie screamed. They were going to fall!

Suddenly two cars sped down the bridge, uncaring of the rough weather-it was Arcee and Bumblebee. As he got near the trapped humans, Bumblebee let Sara jump out of his vehicle mode before transforming and running over to the car, grabbing the trunk and pulling down on it to keep it from falling over. He tried to remain steady, but it was hard when his feet were slipping on the wet ground.

“Arcee, get them!” He grunted.

Arcee jumped over the side and gripped the ledge with one hand while she tore open the door on Darren’s side. Reaching out, she held Darren climb onto her arm and get on her back. She got Gina out as well before the car slid forward a few more inches and heard Bumblebee yelp when another lightning bolt hit near his foot.

“Hold it steady, Bee!” She yelled.

“I’m trying, but I don’t have much ground to stand on!” He said. The car’s weight was pulling him along for the ride and the girls were still in the front of the car.

Sara jumped onto the car and swung over to Annie’s side, ripping open the door and taking Annie onto her back before slowly climbing back onto the bridge with Arcee. Once she got Darren and Gina on the bridge, Arcee leaned back down and reached out to Debbie, who slowly climbed out of the car and tried to reach her hand

“Come on, you can do it!” Arcee urged her. She almost had Debbie when Bumblebee’s foot slipped and he almost lost his grip on the car, making it slide forward more. Debbie, who was holding onto the car door, lost her footing and slipped off the car. “No!”

“Debbie!” Annie screamed.

Debbie screamed as she lost her hold on the car door and felt herself falling. She saw the looks of horror on her family and the Autobots’ faces and shut her eyes as she waited for the cold sting of the river to swallow her up. But she felt something break her fall and cracked her eyes open to see that she was still hanging over the river. In fact, she was hovering in mid-air over the drop! She yelped when she saw her car drop past her and crash into the river below and squirmed in the air.

“Debbie, stop squirming!” She heard her brother yell.

Looking up, she saw that Darren was actually pulling her up with his powers-he was actually telekinetically lifting another human being! And it seemed to put some strain, as his face was red and sweaty. Debbie was slowly levitated into Arcee’s outstretched hand and she quickly grabbed the Autobot’s slender fingers, feeling the telekinetic hold on her fade.

Arcee pulled her back onto the bridge and placed her on solid ground, where Darren and Annie pulled her into a hug. Debbie hugged them just as tightly.

“I’m glad you alright.” Darren muttered into her coat.

“I am now, thanks to you.” Debbie said. “That was amazing. I didn’t know you could do that.”

“It was on reflex. I don’t think I can do that again if I tried.” He said sheepishly. Debbie looked up at the Autobots.

“Thank you two as well. You saved our lives.” She said honestly.

“All in a day’s work for us Autobots.” Bumblebee said proudly.

“Except our work isn’t done.” Arcee sighed and turned to the humans. “Let’s get you four back to the Ark. Things are a little bit tense as of late.”

“How tense?” Annie asked.

“Sparkplug will explain the situation to you.” Arcee went into car mode and opened her doors. “Now let’s get moving before you all get sick in this weather.”

XXXXXX

The Nemesis flew over the Pacific Ocean combing the area for any signs of the alien entity that was heading straight for their island. Megatron stood on the bridge of his ship watching the weather turn violent and the seas becoming a violent monstrous force of nature that swallowed everything that fell into it. Even Megatron could see that this wasn’t natural, this abnormal weather was being caused by something.

“Lord Megatron, it’s been an hour since we’ve taken flight and so far we’ve detected nothing approaching our position.” Flamewar said. “I feel that this was a waste of time on our part. Why should we wait here twiddling our blasters when we could be out looking for energon?”

“Because I said so, Flamewar, that’s why. Nightshade has informed me of an attack directed at us and I’m not being taken by surprise this time.” Megatron said.

“And on what basis does she make this declaration of a supposed threat? For all we know, her mind could’ve been altered by these dolems while inside that dome. You know how strong their powers are.” Flamewar continued.

“It’s not a matter of how accurate her information is, it’s how much I trust her not to lead me astray, and I certainly trust her more than I trust you.” Megatron looked at her over his shoulder. “Don’t play games with me, Flamewar!”

“Come on, two wheeler,” Starscream grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away. “Let’s go before you get me slagged.”

Flamewar wrenched her arm free and continued to poke the lion. “I’m just being cautious, my lord. We’re preparing to fight an enemy we’re not even sure is heading our way. I’m not even sure Nightshade’s info is credible given that she’s had her mind played with by those creatures in the past.”

“And so have Starscream and myself. Are you saying that we’re compromised as well?” Megatron asked, looming over her small form, and looking like he was about to rip her in half.

Flamewar’s courage faltered as Megatron’s burning gaze settled on her. “No, my lord. I was just-“

“I know what you’re trying to do, Flamewar. Plant seeds of doubt in my mind to slander Nightshade and ring her down while you weasel your way into my good graces. Starscream tried that before, huntress, and failed miserably numerous times in the past.”

“Sure, add insult to injury.” Starscream grumbled.

“Let me make this perfectly clear to you. If you try to uproot the order I have instilled on this unit, if you try to start a civil war among my ranks, I will make you eat your own Spark core while I make you run your T-cog until it burns out.” And he wasn’t making an idle threat. Knockout could make cadavers dance with enough motivation.

“So you keep reminding me.” Flamewar replied, staring up at him.

“And I will keep reminding you until it gets through that thick cobalt skull of yours.” Megatron turned back to the monitor and waved her off. “Starscream, take your trash and leave me.”

“Right away, Megatron!” Starscream grabbed Flamewar’s arms and pulled her out of the room. “Come along, little huntress, you’ve done enough damage for one day.”

“Let go of me you plebian!” She shouted as the doors closed.

Megatron frowned as Starscream and Flamewar left the bridge. This little pissing contest between Nightshade and Flamewar was getting out of hand. . He didn’t interfere because he thought that it was amusing to see his normally stoic second in command get into low level cyber-cat fights with the fugitive huntress, but now that Flamewar was making power plays for her position, he had to be careful. Unlike Starscream, she knew how to be subtle and when to strike when her prey was at its weakest. There was no telling what she’d do to gain more influence…or get free.

“Leader-1,” He turned to his Minicon manning the communication array with Soundwave. “Is everyone back on the ship?”

“Everyone save Blackout. I’ll bring him up.” Leader-1 switched the comm on. “Cannon, this is Leader-1. Tell your buddy to put it in gear. Megatron’s getting impatient.”

Out in the furious storm, Blackout flew over the violent ocean waves that reached hundreds of feet into the air. Blackout thought he could make it back to the Nemesis on his own, hence why he neglected a ground bridge, but he didn’t think the storm would come down on him this hard and fast. Cannon, fully healed but slightly traumatized after his torture at Annie’s hands, never let him live it down as they tried to navigate the storm.

“Cram it, crankcase, we’re moving as fast as we can.” Cannon said over the loud winds and deafening thunder. “We’ve got energon weighing us down and if we move any faster, we’ll drop it. You want to be responsible for that?”

“ _Just get back to the island. Megatron wants all hands on deck in case we’re attacked by something.”_

Cannon snorted. “Like what? There’s nothing out here but fish and stupid seaweed!”

As if the universe wanted to prove him wrong, a massive creature burst from the water, leaping nearly 20 feet into the air at them. Cannon didn’t see what it looked like, but he definitely saw the massive jaws closing in on them. Blackout cursed and swerved out of the way, just barely avoiding the large teeth that almost crunched him in half. The jaws snapped shut with enough force to cause sparks to fly as the beast dove back into the ocean with a massive slash. Even through the heavy rain he could see its large form just beneath the surface, circling around to swim towards Decepticon Island.

“Cannon,” Blackout said after getting over his shock. “Tell Megatron we found his mystery monster.”

XXXXXX

The minute they entered the Ark through the ground bridge, the children were swarmed by their very concerned guardian Minicons, who took them all, even Debbie, into a group hug.

“We’re so glad you’re okay!” Sureshock said. “I’m sorry we weren’t there for you. We were told it was too dangerous for us to stay outside any longer and assured us that you’d all be safe.”

“Who said that?” Darren said.

“Prowl,” High Wire said. “He was very insistent that we’d be bridged back here. We only went because he said that you’d be safe for the moment.”

“So Prowl short-changed you guys. My oh my, what a surprise that is.” Annie rolled her eyes.

“Ms. Gina and the others almost expired, but we managed to reach them in time.” Sara said and walked over to Gina, pushing Sureshock aside and hugging the blonde woodenly. “I have learned how to hug from Minicon Tracer. Is this adequate for you, Ms. Gina?”

“Y-Yes, Sara, you’re doing fine.” Gina laughed awkwardly.

Sparkplug walked over to Debbie. “Are you doing alright?”

“We’re all in one piece. I am short one car thought.’ Debbie said. At least they made it out with their lives, though she hoped that the Bots could fish her car out of the river. Maybe Wheeljack can fix it, that’d be a great way to save money. “And the weather outside is absolutely terrible. We were almost drive off the bridge by two direct lightning bolts!”

“Three bolts, I took one to my foot.” Bumblebee said, showing the scorched armor where the bolt almost hit his leg.

“I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse from here on out.” Sparkplug said and looked up at the two Autobots. “Optimus is waiting for you in the command center.”

Arcee nodded and smiled down at the twins before leaving the room with Bumblebee.

“What’s going on?” Gina asked, seeing the tense expression on Sparkplug’s face.

“I’ll tell you after we get you four dried up.” He said and led them out of the room. “But let’s just say that it’s about to get really noisy soon.”

In the command center, Ratchet and Longarm were hard at work at the terminal locating the Cardinals. Optimus walked over to the pair to check on their progress.

“Give me a sit-rep.”

“I think we’ve found the Cardinals.” Ratchet said and pointed at the large white swirling vortexes on the screen. “See these weather patterns near the poles? They’ve been gaining strength for the past hour while moving at a fairly even pace. It looks normal, but not only did they appear out of nowhere and move at the same time, they’re also moving against natural wind currents.”

“What the hell does that have to do with the Cardinals?” Ironhide asked impatiently.

“Storm fronts don’t move like that, Ironhide. They go where the wind takes them.” Longarm said. “These aren’t regular weather patterns, they’re the Cardinals we’re looking for.”

Ratchet pointed to the one moving through Alaska. “That’s the one we should look out for. The Cardinal that’s heading our way.”

“You’re telling me all this crazy weather is caused by the Cardinals?” Skyfire looked at the screen in shock.

“The entire western hemisphere from pole to pole with Osea and Azteca in between are suffering from these abnormal weather conditions, with powerful storms hitting both continents with unnatural ferocity.” Ratchet said seriously. “I’d say they’re causing the storms themselves.”

“They’re that powerful?” Bumblebee whispered in awe. “How are we going to fight something like that?”

“I hope we’re not going to wait for that thing to come to us.” Bulkhead said.

“We’re not waiting.” Optimus said in a firm tone. “Once we can pinpoint its location, I will go to the Cardinal myself and try to negotiate with it.”

“You want to talk to it?” Jazz looked at Prime with a disbelieving expression. “Boss bot, that’s straight up suicide.”

“That thing will kill you on sight!” Ironhide said. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Autobots, that Cardinal is the heart of this storm that’s assailing Osea. It will cause massive damage to the land as it passes through each state, and that includes any human settlements in its way. Lives are at stake here, and the least I can do is stop it in its tracks before it can cause anymore damage.”

“And what about the Decepticons?” Prowl asked. “Will we be coming to their aid too?”

Optimus glared at Prowl, who stared unflinchingly back at him. He knew Prowl would be against any alliance with the people they were warring against, even in the face of fighting a powerful enemy. Four million years of warfare had worn down hard on everyone, especially Prowl, who had to make a lot of terrible decisions in battle just to gain some ground against the Cons. That being said, Optimus wasn’t going to let Prowl’s prejudice alter his battlefield decisions.

“The Decepticons are on their own.” Prime said. “We won’t be going to their aid any time soon if that’s what you’re concerned about, Prowl, even thought our combined forces would prove sufficient enough to handle the Cardinal’s might.”

It was a backhanded comment meant to tell Prowl that if it meant increasing their chances of victory, then he’d gladly team up with the Decepticons.

Seeking to lower the tension in the room, Arcee cleared her throat. “Optimus, we all know you want to avoid a battle at all costs, but what if the situation gets worse while you’re out there?”

“Don’t worry, Arcee. You will all be on standby in case the Cardinal attacks me. Even I’m not foolish enough to fight a Cardinal on my own.” Optimus said this to everyone, but his gaze was on Prowl as he said this. Seeing that he made his point, he walked past his tactician to head to the ground bridge.

Skyfire nudged Jazz. “Is it just me, or are those two acting a bit frosty towards each other?”

“Those two always had some beef when it came to how to do things in the field. Let’s just hope they keep it together long enough to make it through this.” Jazz muttered.

XXXXXX

“Are you sure, Blackout?” Megatron asked against after hearing Blackout’s account on what happened.

“ _Yes, my liege. I only caught a glimpse of the beast that attacked us, but I recognized that it was no organic creature.”_ Blackout confirmed. “ _It’s the Cardinal.”_

“So they really are coming to challenge us.” Megatron frowned. Nightshade crossed her arms and glared at him.

“As I have already told you.” She said.

“Forgive me if I don’t take everything at face value like some people, Nightshade.” Megatron said, meeting her glare with his own. “I like to have some credibility to claims like these without rushing head first into danger.”

“Your orders Megatron?” Soundwave asked.

“Bring the ship over to Blackout’s location.” Megatron said. “I’m going to talk to it.”

The others looked at him as if he had lost his senses. “Talk to it? A creature of the same race as that two headed monstrosity that almost destroyed us on the floating island?” Starscream shook his head in disbelief. “What do you need to talk to it for? To see what kind of metal it likes to eat?”

Megatron pushed past Starscream to leave the bridge. “I want to see the beast whose heart I’m going to tear out with my bare hands.”

The Nemesis flew through the storm a few miles away from Decepticon Island to head over to Blackout’s location, who was tailing the Cardinal. As they neared his position, the hatch on top of the ship opened up and Megatron walked out into the terrible weather, rain and winds pelting against his large form as he walked over to the edge of his ship to look down at the violent waters down below.

“Come out, beast! I know you’re out there!” Megatron bellowed to the chaotic sea below. “I know you hear me! Face me like a true warrior!” When he got no response, he started to get frustrated. “I said come out! I want to see the face of the false god who dares to challenge me!”

 **“You speak as if you are a legendary warrior, when in reality, you are a king of a dying race.”** A thunderous voice said from the sea. **“You call yourself invincible, but death looms over you like a shadow. Let me show you your place.”**

The water in front of them started to swirl and form a whirlpool, and from the churning waters emerged a beast not native to these waters. The Cardinal was a large four-legged beast with a slender torso clad in golden armor lining its ribs, and four long legs that had humanoid faces on the joints, with each leg ending in a massive four clawed foot. Its head was larger in proportion to its torso, and was little more than a giant golden head split open to reveal a wide mouth with jagged teeth that looked like huge shards of broken glass. On its back were golden wings that served no purpose for aerial flight at all, and a halo floated above its head.

Megatron grinned at the mighty beast. “There you are.”

 **“I am Sapientia, Cardinal of the South and devoted servant of our Grace, Jubileus.”** It said, it’s voice sounded like a rumbling thunder just before the thunderclap. **“By Her will, I shall smite you!”**

“You’re welcome to try!” Megatron fired his fusion cannon directly at Sapientia’s face. The blast hit the right side of its head, but it did little else than slightly move its head to the side. Aside from a sizeable chunk of stone blasted off its shoulder, the Cardinal was relatively unharmed.

 **“Meet the end here, in the depths of my kingdom!”** Sapientia roared. “ **Face the full might of the sea!”**

XXXXXX

Once Teletran-1 identified the eye of the storm in the forests of Canadia, Optimus took a ground bridge there and traversed the powerful storm to meet the Cardinal. The deeper he got into the forest, the stronger the winds became, until it became a chore just to walk without losing his footing. Walking through a forest during a thunderstorm was a terrible thing to do, but Optimus figured that few things he did in his line of work was good for his health.

The Cardinal had passed over two towns already, and the storm it trialed in its wake left behind two ravaged settlements that stood no chance of surviving. Like a force of nature, it continued on its path, unrelenting and unstoppable. But this creature was no force of nature, and it certainly wasn’t a god. Optimus felt the Matrix pulse in his chest and knew he was getting close.

‘Almost there.’ Optimus thought. ‘Just a little farther.’

Optimus exited the forest and saw a massive tornado sitting in the middle of a large field, a wide plain of grasslands that extending into the tundra that covered much of northern Canadia. The tornado reached hundreds of feet into the air, but it didn’t touch the clouds above. This tornado was being generated by its own power, something not born of nature. Optimus could only go a little farther before being forced to stop, lest he be swept away by the gale force winds.

“Cardinal!” Optimus yelled. “Here I am!”

The wind grew stronger and lightning struck the ground from within the tornado, hitting a tree and splitting it in half. As nature began unraveling around him, Optimus heard a loud, deep voice speak from within the tornado.

**“Here you are, standing before me in all your splendor. Even in the cold dark winds of the tempest you shine brightly, Optimus Prime.”**

At an unspoken command, the tornado dissipated and Optimus was allowed to see the Cardinal. It was just as alien looking as Fortitudo, sporting a large body built like a castle, with smooth marble skin with intricate patterns carved into its hide. Its face, stoic and cold, sat in the middle of its torso with a large golden halo floating above its main body. Its arms were like massive trees, also decorated and ending in large tube-like fingers that wiggled around in their socket. The arms were connected to the body by white tendrils of energy with two rings orbiting a diamond-like crystal holding everything together. It had no legs, floating hundreds of feet off the ground and sporting three ruby spheres along the lower portion of its body that was also decorated with green adornments encrusted with gold and silver.

“ **I am Temperantia, Cardinal of the North and proud servant of Lady Jubileus.”** It announced, with the same, deep reverberating voice that made the very air shake with power. “ **You are either very brave, or very foolish to face me alone.”**

“I did not come here to fight, great Cardinal, but to talk.” Optimus said politely. “Will you listen?”

Temperantia considered the request, its smooth face showing no emotion. “ **Speak, alien.”**

“I appeal to you to stop your rampage, Cardinal. This storm you’ve caused with your power threatens innocent people; humans who you have professed to worship you and your goddess. I do not care what happens to me, for I do not ask this for myself or my Autobots, but for the humans who call this land home.”

 **“So you come here as some kind of martyr for humanity? How laughable it is that you think appealing to me will spare your people the punishment you rightfully deserve.”** Temperantia scowled. **“There was a time when humans worshipped us as gods, but over time they began turning to false idols for selfish reasons. They have forgotten the gifts we’ve bestowed upon them, the brilliance of our light and the might of our judgment. They shall suffer for their sins, as will you!”**

Temperantia’s halo grew brighter as its rage grew, and its power caused the land to shake and tremble.

**“Your kind has no place on our world, alien! Die, and return to nothing!”**

 


	36. The Tempest part 2

Chapter 35-The Tempest part 2

The roar Temperantia gave was one of primal fury, directed entirely at Optimus for the supposed transgressions committed against the dolems. The time for talk was over. Now the fight truly began.

Optimus ran back into the forest as Temperantia threw a massive fist into the ground. The impact was like a meteor hitting the ground and the entire forest trembled. Optimus was nowhere near the punch, but he felt the powerful shockwave that blew him off his feet. He slammed into a tree, but quickly got up and started running. He thought about shooting the Cardinal, but a target that big wouldn’t even notice he was being shot at.

 **“Give up, Prime.”** Temperantia said, scanning the forest for Optimus. It couldn’t see him, but Optimus had a feeling that it wasn’t above taking pot shots at the forest to root him out. **“The more you resist, the more humans who will die because of your cowardice.”**

“I’m defending the rights of these people to live free of your false blessings! You’d kill them even if I did surrender, just out of spite for being spurned.” Optimus said.

 **“So you blame me for the deaths of the people you failed to protect?”** The Cardinal gave a deep, condescending laugh. **“You are more of a fool than I thought.”**

Temperantia raised its hand and pointed its fingers at the forest. From its appendages, it fired multiple projectiles that looked like missiles, but were in fact huge chunks of polished red crystals shaped like cannonballs that were shot at high speeds. Temperantia fired them from the hollow points of its fingers, not even bothering to aim as it leveled a large chunk of the forest. They hit the trees, smashed them apart to splinters before hitting the ground with explosive force.

Optimus ran through the forest as fast as he could, hearing the forest be destroyed all around him as explosions went off everywhere. Each fireball hitting the earth felt like being near a concussion bomb during detonation. The tree next to him exploded from a fireball that completely destroyed it, sending sharp pieces of wood into Prime’s face, one large chunk hitting him in the eye. He stumbled and another fireball hit the ground before him, blasting him straight through a tree and crashing face first into the ground.

Groaning, Optimus sat up and saw another fireball heading straight at him. Unfolding his battle axe, he leapt up and cut it in half, letting both halves explode harmlessly beside him. He landed back on his feet and winced at the pain in his eye.

 **“Such dedication, you would’ve made a fine warrior under Her grace’s command.”** Temperantia said, gazing down at Prime through the ruined treeline. **“But alas, your resistance will only bring further misery to your life. You, who have spent centuries fighting for others, will be nothing more than a relic when your petty war ends. Legends like you are born from war, and when that war ends, you die along with it.”**

“If you’re trying to get into my head, then you’re not doing a very good job.” Optimus said.

**“It’s time we ended this farce. You are coming with me.”**

Leaning his massive body over the forest, Temperantia reached out with his large hand to grab Optimus. Optimus prepared himself to slash at the Cardinal’s fingers as they descended upon him, but to his surprise, and Temperantia’s, three missiles slammed into its hand. Temperantia roared and pulled its hand back.

“ **Who dares to attack a Cardinal?”** Temperantia growled.

“This guy!” Skyfire flew in from above, firing her particle cannons at its back. It tried to grab him, but she weaved out of its fingers and continued shooting at the massive entity to draw its attention away from Optimus.

“Skyfire?” Optimus said. “How…?”

“On your feet, Prime.” Two sets of hands helped him up. “The fight’s just getting started.”

Optimus saw Jazz and Prowl standing to the side of him, each hefting some heavy weaponry for the occasion. “What are you doing here? I thought I said to wait for my orders.”

“With all due respect, Prime, your orders were going to get you killed.” Prowl said. “As soon as we detected multiple heat signatures around you, Ratchet sent us out at once.”

“Just you two?”

“No,” Jazz said. “All of us.”

By that, he meant everyone. Arcee, Jazz and Bumblebee were leading Temperantia into the valley outside of the forest, where Bulkhead, Wheeljack and Ironhide were waiting to unleash hell on the Cardinal’s upper body. They were going to hit this thing and hit it hard.

Optimus wanted to protest getting the others involved, but they all knew the risks and had signed up to give their lives for the greater good. He knew it was a waste of time to try to get them to fall back, so he might as well take advantage of the extra guns as soon as possible.

“It’s illogical to think that we would let you do this alone.” Prowl told him, staring right at his face. “We’re in this together.”

Optimus chuckled and looked back at Temperantia. “All right, Prowl, we’ll do this together.” He took out his weapons and called out to the rest of his team. “Autobots, fire at will!”

XXXXXX

At the same time, thousands of miles away, the Decepticons were also battling their own Cardinal.

Sapientia was built like a battleship. Despite the full might of the Nemesis focused on it, the creature didn’t pause in its travel to Decepticon Island despite the ship’s weapons targeting it. At the speeds Sapientia was swimming, they could only use the ship’s forward missile batteries to deliver a missile payload to the Cardinal, which was made difficult by the storm. Heat seekers were out of the question, since the Cardinal had no large heat signature despite being alive, so they had to go line of sight.

The Seekers, Blackout and Nightshade all swarmed Sapientia like bees, hitting it where the Nemesis couldn’t reach. They fired missiles and laser bolts at its stony hide, but it weathered through all of their attacks. But that didn’t mean it was completely docile either. As the Nemesis unleashed its missile payload on it, Sapientia fought back with its own arsenal; the faces on its knees spat out large ruby red crystals that emitted large amounts of heat that tracked the flyers through the air. Blackout fired a sonic wave at them, but one got too close and exploded near him. The blast nearly threw him into the ocean, but he managed to save himself and return fire with his laser cannons, which didn’t do much.

Some of those fireballs hit the side of the Nemesis, but the ship was built for large scale siege operations, so it didn’t suffer serious damage. That being said, not much was being done to slow Sapientia down. From his spot on the bridge, Megatron could only watch as the Seekers flew around to escape the fiery projectiles the Cardinal shot at them.

“Starscream, I didn’t bring you aboard this ship so you could run!” Megatron snarled. “Stand strong and fight that beast!”

 _“We’re trying not to get shot down by the fireballs, Lord Megatron!”_ Starscream yelled back, putting a lot of sarcastic emphasis on the title. _“It’s not like we can just ignore them.”_

“Then take them down and attack the Cardinal! It’s getting close to the island.” Nightshade said.

Thundercracker dive to the ocean in front of Sapientia and shot two missiles straight into its open mouth. Large explosions rippled in the Cardinal’s wide mouth and stopped it in its tracks, its face covered in smoke and flames.

“It’s hurt!” Thundercracker announced.

Sapientia growled and the panels on its long, thin body flipped open to reveal four long tentacles with eyes at the end. They slithered out of its body and shot powerful beams of light at the flyers around it. Blackout was the first to be hit as a beam tore through his tail rotor and he spun out into the ocean. As if to add insult to injury, just before he hit the water, Sapientia spun around and slammed its tail into Blackout with enough force to break every steel bone in his body, smacking him across the water’s surface with debilitating force.

Just barely dodging a beam herself, Nightshade called a med evac for Blackout. Two beams hit the Nemesis and cleanly tore into the ship’s thick armor plating, cutting through the thrusters and destroying one of the missile batteries. The ship wavered in the air, and Megatron was almost thrown to the floor with Soundwave as Rumble and Frenzy struggled to keep the ship steady.

“Enough of this,” Megatron hissed. “Target our particle cannons on the beast and fire at will. Destroy it once its within range.”

“Yes, sir!” Leader-1, who was manning the weapons systems, said.

Outside, Sapientia retracted the eye stalks back into its body and dived underwater. They quickly lost sight of its large body as it swam through the dark depths, deeper than they wanted to go, and hampered by the low visibility of the storm. Nightshade searched for it too, but she couldn’t see anything either.

“I can’t get a reading on thermals either.” She said.

Megatron scowled. “Seekers, return to the Nemesis to resupply, then-“

Sapientia burst from the water like a Great White, roaring thunderously as it leapt high into the air and shot at Nightshade, who quickly flew out of its path to avoid being eaten. But it didn’t stop there; Sapientia swung its massive body around in a twofold attack-slamming its tail into Nightshade to smack her into the water and digging its claws into the side of the Nemesis, intending to rip it to pieces.

XXXXXX

Ratchet sat at the Teletran-1 terminal monitoring the rest of the team who were battling the Cardinal. The Autobots mobilized with a full load-out of weapons from the Ark’s munitions plant, many of them heavy weapons made for dealing with larger targets like Devastator. The arsenal was impressive, but against a being as powerful as the Cardinal, he felt a bit too optimistic thinking that it would be enough.

“Ratchet?”

The kids and their guardians stood at his feet, all dried up and looking better now after their ordeal. Ratchet was pleased to see that they were alright, especially after the incident with Annie and Darren. Personally, Ratchet considered the children as part of the team, and respected them as much as he would his fellow Autobots. He had to, considering the things they had gone through over the past few months.

“Hello, children,” He greeted them. “How are you feeling?”

“We’re better now that we’re all dry, but what about the team?” Darren asked. “Sparkplug told us about the dolems. Are they doing alright?”

Ratchet sighed and looked back at the monitor. “I’m monitoring their progress in their battle against the Cardinal, but the battle’s too early to be decided. If this Cardinal is anything like Fortitudo, then they’re in for a rough fight.”

“Let us go out there, Ratchet. We can help.” Gina said, but Ratchet shook his head.

“Out of the question. Optimus left me explicit orders not to let you go out there.” He gave them all a look to show that he was serious. “This is dangerous, kids. What happened last time was out of our power, everyone was in danger, but this isn’t something you can just rush into. We got lucky last time, but we’re not taking chances now.”

“But our talos are powerful, Ratchet, not to mention Mjolnir can pack a punch.” Annie said. “We’re no stranger to being in danger.”

“That’s the problem, children your age shouldn’t be caught up in this stuff. I know you want to help, but it just isn’t right to keep dragging you into these battles where you could be killed.” Ratchet sighed and rubbed his forehead. “This war is changing you three into warriors, and that’s not what any of us want for you.”

“Don’t say that!” Gina yelled. “Don’t act like distancing us from this is going to make things normal for us again! We’ve already done things we can’t take back and that’s just how things are now. And now our home is being attacked by some super powerful alien and our friends are in danger. We can provide support and you’re here stonewalling us!”

“This is not up for discussion, Gina, let the soldiers handle the war!” Ratchet firmly said.

The room went silent after that. Ratchet and Gina had an intense stare down before Gina huffed and stomped out of the room with Sureshock and Sara in tow. The twins and their partners stood there uneasily with a still angry Ratchet not exactly knowing what to do. Eventually, Grindor just gave up and took a seat.

“Not exactly how I imagined the apocalypse would go, but hey,” Grindor shrugged. “Life’s full of surprises.”

XXXXXX

The ocean felt ice cold to Nightshade, but aside from a few aches, she was unharmed from that massive blow she took. Reverting to robot mode, she quickly swam back to the surface, where she saw Sapientia hanging onto the side of the Nemesis by just its claws.

The Nemesis was a large, heavy ship that could take some damage, but the diamond sharp claws of Sapientia easily tore into the ship’s hull and its heavy weight threatened to drag the ship into the churning waters below. The ship spun in the air as Sapientia dug its sharp teeth into the upper deck, tear out chunks of armor off the vessel. On the bridge, the Decepticons were struggling to maintain altitude with the beast crunching away at the ship.

“Shake it off!” Megatron shouted.

“It’s out of the range of our weapons, Megatron. We can’t get a lock on it.” Soundwave said.

“We’re still airborne, but if that thing stays on any longer, we’ll start losing attitude.” Leader-1 said. “We’re just barely holding on as it is.”

“Damn it!” Megatron growled and ran out of the bridge.

He ran back up to the upper deck and outside to face the Cardinal munching on his ship. Running to the edge, Megatron aimed and fired his fusion cannon at the beast’s large teeth, shattering multiple teeth at once. The move caught Sapientia off guard and it reeled back in pain, roaring. Megatron jumped off the ship and onto its back, firing another shot at the claws buried into the ship. He didn’t blast off any fingers, but he did do enough damage to make it flinch. Another shot finally forced Sapientia to let go of the ship and fall back into the ocean, diving under the surface.

Megatron held on tight to the golden head crest on its head as the massive creature swam through the water like a giant lizard, moving far too fluidly for a creature its size. When it broke the surface again, Starscream attacked the face on its rear leg, destroying it and blasting off a large chunk of stone as well. Megatron climbed atop its head and stabbed his blade into its skull repeatedly, though his attacks felt like pin pricks.

 **“It appears your battlefield skills do not extend to your common sense. Your weapons cannot hurt me, alien.”** Sapientia laughed. **“My skin is like diamond, and my bones are like steel! You would have a better chance trying to catch the sun! Beg for forgiveness and you shall be granted a swift death.”**

“Megatron never begs,” Megatron pointed his fusion cannon at the small hole he dug into Sapientia’s head. “He conquers!”

A close range plasma beam fired right into Sapientia’s head through the hole carved into the top of its head caused more damage than could be expected. Even the dolem’s rocky skin could not completely weather the power behind Megatron’s greatest weapon. A large chunk of stone was blasted apart from the Cardinal’s skull, and Sapientia definitely felt the pain of white hot plasma bursts burning away at its sensitive innards. Meanwhile, Thundercracker and Skywarp were attacking the face plates on its knees with missile fire, effectively taking out half of its arsenal.

White hot pain rippled through Sapientia’s skull, and it only got worse as a white arrow hit the side of its abdomen, blasting a hole in its length body. Nightshade flew over it, pulling the string back on Gandiva for another attack.

“That superior attitude of yours is starting to piss me off.” Nightshade growled, firing another arrow right at its rear left leg, shattering its knee and blasting the leg off completely. “Don’t underestimate us!”

Megatron fired another blast at one of its wings. “How does it feel, beast? That is pain, a feeling we true warriors experience every day.” He stabbed his blade into its joint and began hacking away. “Tell me, Cardinal, do you bleed?”

Sapientia finally had enough of this treatment and began thrashing around, kicking up large amounts of water around it. Megatron held on so he would get thrown off while it threw its head back and opened its mouth wide.

“Frag me, what’s it doing now?” Thundercracker asked.

He got his answer when Sapientia’s mouth split apart to reveal a large crystal emerging from its throat. As the crystal started glowing brightly, Starscream knew what was coming next and shot at it, though it seemed to not notice or care about the null blasts pelting its damaged skull.

“Kill it, kill it before it shoots the ship down!” He shouted.

As the Seekers opened fire on the Cardinal, Nightshade called the Nemesis. “Soundwave, get the ship out of here! The Cardinal is about to attack!”

Too late; Sapientia fired a blast of pure energy from its mouth that cut through the storm like a scalpel. At the same time, Nightshade let loose an arrow from Gandiva, which hit the side of its head at the moment of fire and tilted its head slightly, though the beam still hit its target. Megatron and Nightshade watched with wide eyes as the entire left side of the Nemesis exploded.

XXXXXX

Even with their heavy ordnance, the Autobots were still constrained to basically leading the Cardinal around as they attacked it with everything they had. Skyfire was doing her best, but she was running out of missiles, and the team spent more time dodging its fireballs than actually trying to damage it. As it is, Arcee and Jazz acted as decoys to draw Temperantia into a valley where Bulkhead and Ironhide were stationed for some explosive action.

“All set up, Bulkhead?” Ironhide asked.

“Yup, power levels are holding and targeting systems are functional.” Bulkhead said. “Now we just need to wait for that ugly bastard to get within range.”

The two mechs were working on setting up a trio of nucleon shock cannons that were left collecting dust in Ironhide’s weapons vault. They were huge triple barreled cannons modeled after Megatron’s fusion cannon, only bigger, and guzzled energon like no other, but was extremely powerful against heavily armored bots and units. The only setback was that it was stationary and couldn’t be carried around. It needed to be set up and ready to fire before the enemy got close or you were screwed.

“Looks like we get our chance to fire old faithful here.” Ironhide pointed at Temperantia as it slowly neared the valley.

 _“Ironhide, we’re heading straight towards you,”_ Prowl said over the comm. _“Get ready to hit it!”_

Bulkhead cracked his knuckles and pointed the cannons to where Temperantia was heading, which was just a few feet from them. Down below, the Autobots continued to bombard the Cardinal with everything they had, slowly luring it into the canyon and right into their laser sights. Jazz and Arcee were grappled onto its torso and were swinging around its body shooting at its chest.

“Cee, we’re going in for one more run before we have to split!” Jazz said.

“Copy that!” Arcee replied.

With the skills of highly trained acrobats, they swung around Temperantia’s large body on grappling lines and fired at its chest with photon blasts. Bumblebee, who was keeping an eye atop the cliff side with Jolt to watch for any strange movements from the Cardinal, noticed something. Arcee’s photon blasts had riddled Temperantia’s right side with holes and one of the blasts hit the energy sphere connecting its arm to its torso. At that moment, Temperantia flinched and growled, swinging an arm at her.

‘Did it…just feel pain?’ Bumblebee thought. Acting on a hunch, he called up Ironhide. “Ironhide, can you hear me?”

 _“Not now kid, we’re about to fire.”_ Ironhide grunted.

“Just hear me out. Have Bulkhead move the cannon so that its pointed at the sphere between its arm and torso.” Bumblebee said.

_“What for?”_

“Just trust me on this!”

“Guys, that bozos almost on us.” Bulkhead said. “What’re we doing?”

Ironhide only hesitated for a few seconds before ordering Bulkhead to aim the cannon at the Cardinal’s shoulder. As Temperantia drew closer, Arcee and Jazz disengaged their lines and leapt off the Cardinal, grabbing onto Skyfire as she swooped in to catch them. Once Temperantia floated into his view, Ironhide gave the order.

“Fire!”

Bulkhead pressed the button and the two shock cannons fired a pair of large emerald particle beams that shot through the air and hit the Cardinal right in the nexus point in its shoulder. Temperantia gave a pained groan as the combined blasts hit the sphere in its shoulder and the pain made it stop in its tracks.

“Holy slag, it worked!” Bumblebee cheered.

 _“Bumblebee, what the hell was that?”_ Ironhide asked.

“Guys, the spots where its arms are connected to its body with those spheres, we need to attack them! They’re like open nerves, hitting it causes that thing pain.” He explained.

“You heard him, Autobots.” Optimus said before shooting at the sphere in its left shoulder.

The other Autobots followed suit, attacking its weak points to stagger it. Skyfire flew in toward the Cardinal with Arcee and Jazz hanging on her wings. When she got close enough, she fired her particle cannon at its right shoulder before dropping the two Autobots onto its body. Arcee took out her laser swords and descended on its left shoulder, slashing at the sphere. Temperantia roared and spun its body around, slamming a massive first into the canyon wall and sending rocks falling down on the Autobots.

“Cee, catch!” Jazz grappled Arcee’s arm and pulled her away before Temperantia could grab at her, nearly smacking the two away with its large fist.

“Skyfire!” Optimus yelled.

Skyfire circled around and flew over Temperantia, dropping some boys from her bomb bay and peppered Temperantia with explosions along his upper body. She spun around and switched to bipedal mode to fire her particle cannon at its shoulders a bit before transforming back to jet mode and flying away.

“It’s working,” Optimus muttered, watching this seemingly invulnerable being wail and scream in pain. “We’re doing it! Keep attacking until Ironhide and Bulkhead can get the shock cannons recharged again!”

“Prime!” Prowl pointed at the Cardinal’s face. “It’s doing something.”

Optimus looked up and saw Temperantia’s face slither out of its chest like some deformed snake. Its eyes began to glow and its forehead split open to reveal a glowing white jewel that pulsated with energy. Energy gathered into the jewel and Temperantia angled its head down at the Autobots, who all prepared to run.

Then it fired.

It was like the sun itself shined from within its body. An intense beam of light was fired from its head and hit the ground with tremendous force and power. Optimus barely had time to tell his team to retreat as Temperantia trailed the beam along the canyon floor, leaving a massive explosion trailing behind that rattled the entire canyon. Temperantia raised its head and slid the beam along the canyon wall, forcing Arcee and Jazz to jump off as the beam tore apart the cliff they were hanging onto and Bumblebee quickly drove away with Jolt behind him. It slashed its head and brought the beam down on where Bulkhead and Ironhide were hiding.

“Move!” Bulkhead pulled Ironhide aside and down the slope as the beam tore into the ground with a resounding boom that blasted them away.

Without a care for its surroundings, the Cardinal swept the beam across the landscape, reaping destruction everywhere it looked. Its beam reached for miles, annihilating unsuspecting towns in the distance. Hundreds of people who were seeking shelter from the storm, people who were unaware of the battle going on miles away from their homes, were killed in an instant. Their only solace was that their deaths were quick and painless as they were vaporized. Two towns met this fate, carved apart by a beam of light that set them aflame.

Temperantia cut the beam off and retracted its head back into its body, floating in place over a burning landscape. Burning gashes were left in the land, forests were on fire, and large swaths of land was carved apart, looking like morbid scars left in the earth. It was like a scalpel was heated to 1,000 degrees had stabbed into the earth and cut through stone and dirt like flesh.

Optimus stood in the middle of the inferno in shock. The land was burning and there was nothing he could do about it. This surpassed what Fortitudo was capable of. How many worlds had the dolems invaded and destroyed just like this? How many races were fooled into worshipping them in the name of their so-called divinity?

His audio receptors were full of static from the shrieking whine of the beam that almost torched them, so he didn’t hear Prowl call out to him or call Ratchet for an evac. He felt Wheeljack struggle to pull him up to his feet and drag him towards the ground bridge. Optimus followed him, but he never took his eyes off Temperantia’s large form looming over the flames, its body covered by the smoke save for its glowing eyes. Staring into the impassive face of the Cardinal ignited a rare but familiar feeling within Optimus-rage.

This wasn’t over. He wouldn’t stop protecting this world and his friends until his Spark stopping pulsing.

XXXXXX

“ _Scientists are baffled by the abnormal weather patterns happening across the western hemisphere, with storms ravaging coastal cities and flood warnings reaching as far as Arizona and Ozark. Astronomers believe that this may be connected to the recent planetary alignment which…”_

“Turn it off.” High Wire sighed. Darren turned off the Solivision with a quick wave of his hand.

The mood was somber for the smaller occupants of the Ark’s west wing. They just learned that the operation was a complete failure. According to Teletran-1, three towns within 200 miles of the battle were wiped out by Temperantia. Thousands died in the span of ten minutes. The Autobots escaped with light wounds and were recovering in the medibay, though their morale was dangerously low after that display of power.

And as if things weren’t already bad, the storm was getting worse. Abnormal weather patterns over Osea and Azteca led to floods, fatalities caused by car accidents, freak lightning bolts, it was like Mother Nature was unleashing the entirety of her fury on the two continents.

Debbie clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “So who wants to play a game?”

She got back a multitude of dry looks in response. Even Peppercat was not amused and slinked away in beast mode to sleep in private.

“Really sis?” Annie shook her head. “Now’s not the time.”

“Well excuse me for trying to lighten the mood!” Debbie crossed her arms and motioned to the depressed expressions on the Minicons’ faces. “How am I supposed to deal with all these sour faces? All this sitting around and moping isn’t doing anyone any good.”

“Well what do supposed we do?” Grindor asked. “I mean, I’m sure we have a few guns in the closet but I’m not really into the whole group killing thing.”

“That’s not even remotely funny, Grindor.” High Wire scolded.

“Good, because I wasn’t trying to.” Grindor stood up. “We’re screwed ten ways from Sunday and we can’t do a thing about it.”

“Way to be negative, Grindor.” Annie frowned.

“But it’s the truth.” Roadstorm said. “We’re stuck on a sinking ship with no way out.”

“It’s game over, man,” Liftor whimpered. “Game over!”

“I’m all for a good fight, but it’s lookin’ pretty bad out there.” Refute said.

“Would everyone shut up!” Annie screamed, halting the dreary chatter. “Listen to yourselves! How can you think of giving up like this? Were things like this on Cybertron? Things got too hot for everyone, so the best option was to just run away?”

“Annie, we’re not cowards, but…what can we do in this situation?” Roll Bar sighed. “You heard the report. That monster just torched 200 miles of land and destroyed three towns in a heartbeat. The Autobots were nearly wiped out by that thing.”

“So your first instinct is to just up and leave them despite how they risked everything to make sure that you all got back safe?” Gina shook her head in disgust. “That’s just sickening. If you plan on doing that, then you’re no different from the Cons!”

“What the hell do you know about us, blondie?” Roadstorm yelled, stomping up to Gina but Sara pushed him back. “You don’t know slag about what we’ve been through! Why we left Cybertron in the first place! We left that planet to escape enslavement and death, and this planet is just another Cybertron waiting to happen! I don’t know about the rest of you bozos, but I’m not going through that again!”

“Then fight for your future, don’t just run away again.” Darren said. “Running won’t solve anything, it’ll only make the problem worse. The reality is that you’re all here now, and if you want to stay free, then you’re going to have to fight back.”

“That’s a great speech and all, but how can we help against the monster that’s trying to blow us all up?” Sonar asked. “I mean, as strong and mighty as the Air Defense Team is, I doubt a little power boost is going help the Autobots in this situation.”

“We Minicons are not just power ups or weapons for them to use, Sonar. We can be dangerous too.” High Wire said. “Look at what we’ve achieved; gestalts and targetmasters combined to make powerful weapons in defense of Minicon independence. We’re intelligent beings who can do more than hold and fire guns. There’s more to war than just fighting.”

“I couldn’t have said it better than myself.”

Everyone turned to see Sparkplug entering the room, looking tired and worn, even his armor looked duller and less vibrant.

“Sparkplug!” Debbie exclaimed. “Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone’s had a run in the CR chamber, so they’re all healed now. The Autobots are in the command center coming up with another plan.” Sparkplug turned to the children. “I heard that pep talk you gave. I didn’t think you’d feel so strongly about wanting to fight.”

“Our home is in danger because of that monster.” Darren said. “Despite what Ratchet says, more important things than our lives are at stake. Seeing all those people just get wiped out…we can’t let that happen again.”

“Wise words, Darren, and I think I know a way we can help.” Sparkplug said and looked to Sara. “After hearing Jolt’s account on what happened, I think we can formulate a plan of our own that might turn the tide for us.”

“Simple, High Wire,” Sparkplug slammed his fist into his palm as the life returned to his eyes. “We strike at its Achilles’ heel!”

 

 


	37. The Tempest part 3

Chapter 36-The Tempest part 3

Optimus sat at the head of the table, silent and serious as he listened to Ratchet’s report of Temperantia’s rampage. The rest of the team was also sitting in the command center with an air of defeat and solemnity hanging over them. Though healed in the CR chambers, the knowledge that they failed when it mattered most hurt more than any physical wound. Things had reached a critical point and they were running out of time.

“Temperantia destroyed three towns in that one attack of his. The casualty numbers can best be described as being almost the accumulated population of the settlements.” Ratchet reported. “As for Temperantia, he’s already passed through the Candia border and is passing through Jasper into Manitoba. Within a few hours, it will reach Dakote.”

“Thank you, Ratchet.” Optimus sighed and rubbed his forehead. He looked at his team and got down to business. “Autobots, we need to stop Temperantia before he can get as far as Manitoba. Once he crosses into Dakote, things will only get worse. Any ideas on how to slow it down?”

“What we need is a strategy that doesn’t involve us shooting wildly and hoping for a miracle.” Prowl said and brought up a 3D image of Temperantia on the holo-display. “We need to know its full capabilities, on top of his weak points. We can’t screw up like we did earlier or we’re all dead.”

“So what do we know?” Jazz asked. Wheeljack highlighted the Cardinal’s hands.

“Well, it can fire huge flaming rocks from its fingers like cannons. I assume that if its weapons systems work like ours, then it can grow its weapons the same way humans grow hair and finger nails.” Wheeljack said.

“That’s totally unfair.” Bumblebee grumbled.

“Nothing’s fair in war, kid.” Ironhide said. “Let’s not forget those damn punches. It turned that forest into a perfect copy of the moon.”

“I don’t think we need to mention that giant beam that almost slagged us.” Bulkhead said. Just thinking about that powerful attack made him shiver. So much destruction, so many lives lost, it was unreal. “I can’t believe we made it out alive.”

“From what I’ve observed when I wasn’t trying to avoid getting incinerated, this beam acts like a high powered photon beam.” Wheeljack said. “It’s basically a focused beam of light that burns through almost everything it touches. The fact that it managed to take out towns 200 miles away show that its range is longer than that distance.”

“Don’t photon lasers like that need to recharge a bit after firing because of energy consumption?” Bulkhead asked. He knew from experience that photon cannons were rarely used on battleships because they relied on a lot of power with varying recharge times.

“Yes, a large photon beam would require a lot of energy and would definitely need to recharge before firing at full power. From what I’ve seen, Temperantia’s speed has slowed significantly after that little light show he gave us.”

“That would explain why it took him so long to reach the border.” Prowl said.

“Which means we have a grace period before it can use that beam again.” Bumblebee said. “I can work with that. At least it gives us a window to operate through.”

“A small window.” Arcee sighed.

“But that still doesn’t answer our question; what are his weaknesses?” Prowl folded his hands and leaned on the table. “We know that the spheres connecting his arms to his body are vulnerable, but the rest of his body can take more damage than a gestalt. We need another alternative before we become predictable.”

“Agreed,” Optimus nodded. “I doubt Temperantia will allow us to get a few hits in like before. He will be more on his guard now that he’s recharging his energy. We just need vulnerable points to hit in the meantime.”

“Perhaps we can help with that.”

The Autobots looked to the doorway to see the children and Sparkplug standing there, with Sara standing a little behind them. “I take it you’re still thinking of a solid plan of attack?” Sparkplug asked.

“Sparkplug,” Optimus was glad that the Minicon leader was offering his help, as well as the kids. “I take it you have a suggestion?”

“Possibly, the kids and I did some behind the scenes work and we may have found something that might help.”

“Oh really? I wonder what miracle you have up your sleeves.” Prowl said skeptically.

“Prowl, we don’t have time for your bullshit.” Annie said. “Could you please just work with us once, you idiot?”

“Let them speak, Prowl.” Optimus said. “Go ahead, children.”

Gina nodded. “Well, I had Sara download some info from Teletran-1 about the Cardinal and-“

“Whoa, hold up,” Wheeljack held up a hand. “You’re saying that Sara infiltrated Teletran’s systems?”

Gina gave them an apologetic smile. “Yeah, sorry.”

Wheeljack wasn’t mad, if anything he looked intrigued. “How did she do that? Teletran has firewalls that even Soundwave would have trouble getting past.”

“It’s quite simple actually. Sara just had to mimic an Autobot signature Teletran was familiar with and…”

Annie put a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “Gina, could you save the techno-jargin until we’re not facing the threat of total annihilation?”

“Oh, right, sorry. As I was saying,” Gina cleared her throat with red cheeks. “Sara reviewed the data Jolt gave us and we had Roll Bar help us out with analyzing the Cardinal, and we found some interesting things.”

Sara hopped onto the table and plugged herself into the holo-display, manipulating the image and show video footage of the Autobots attacking Temperantia. She paused the video and showed the points where their laser blasts and missiles impacted Temperantia’s body.

“See how the missiles and lasers don’t do as much damage to his body? It wasn’t just because you guys had small guns,” Sara slowed the footage down to where the missiles hit the body, showing that when they hit the Cardinal’s skin, the energy from the explosion was diffused along the surface of its body. “The Cardinal is absorbing the energy from your attacks to the point that it does little damage to him.”

“Now that’s just hax.” Jazz groaned.

“How is that possible?” Skyfire blinked. “Wait, how the hell did we not notice that?”

“Because this field only activates when the main body is attacked,” Gina replied. “It acts as a force field that blocks and absorbs the kinetic energy that’s needed to deal damage to his body. Your attacks do hit, but deal less damage than they’re supposed to.”

“Then we realized that if it works like your barrier technology, then chances are that this localized field must be maintained by something in its body.” Darren said.

Wheeljack caught on to that. “Like…a makeshift generator? Yes, an anchor to power this kinetic barrier and maintain its integrity along Temperantia’s body!”

“I assume you also found a way around this barrier?” Arcee asked.

Sara zoomed out of the holo-image and focused on the red spheres along Temperantia’s body. There were three ruby spheres on its lower body, two in front and one in the back. “Scans show that these spheres emit a steady pulse of energy that travels along its body. We believe that this is the source of the barrier.” Sara said.

“Which means that if we want to deal some real damage, we’re gonna have to tear out those fancy jewels.” Ironhide grinned. “I like this plan.”

“This is a risky plan, though.” Prowl said. They made a lot of good points, but most of this information were rough estimates and speculation, and Prowl was wary of anything type of info that wasn’t concrete. “I’m not trying to burst everyone’s bubble, but it’s risky to place our bests on rough estimates. It lowers our chances of survival by 35 percent.”

“We don’t have time to deliberate.” Ratchet said. “We might just have to take a chance on this one, Prowl.”

Prowl grumbled but accepted that fact. He hated making plans based on estimates and guesses that had a high percentage of going wrong. Taking risks like these put everything in jeopardy.

“We will have to attack these spheres and the orbs within a short amount of time before it can launch a counterattack like last time.” Optimus said.

“And that’s where we come in.” Annie said proudly.

“No way, Annie, fighting that thing’s too dangerous.” Bulkhead said.

“Gotta agree with Bulkhead on this one, kids.” Ironhide said. “That thing put us through the wringer. It’ll make short work of you guys.”

“You don’t have a choice. You guys need air support and Skyfire can only provide so much help.” Gina said. “We can fly in our talos and our weapons are more than enough to deal serious damage. We can handle the danger; we know what we’re dealing with.”

“Most of us, anyway.” Darren muttered, earning a glare from Annie.

Optimus found it hard to deny their points. Most of this plan relied on quick and powerful attacks from the air and if Skyfire got hit, that was that. And the talos were very powerful as well, including Mjolnir. His only problem was that the children would be in the thick of it.

“Still,” Prime muttered. “We’ll be putting you three in serious danger.”

“Optimus, thousands of people are in danger.” Darren said. “What happened in Canadia can’t happen in Tranquility. We need to end this now.”

Optimus looked at them, noting their intense expressions and willingness to jump into the fray to save not just their home, but their entire country and beyond from this threat. It was a need to fight for their home and loved ones that Optimus saw in many new Autobots these days. Seeing that they were dedicated to helping them, Optimus sighed and nodded his consent.

“You may join us.” He said and turned back to his Autobots. “Prowl, formulate a plan of attack with the information you just learned and do it quickly. The less time we spend here, the more time we’ll have in stopping it.”

“I’m already working on it, Prime.” Prowl nodded and got up. “It’ll take a lot of effort, but I’m predicting that our chances of winning have increased with this information.”

“Now we’re back in business!” Jazz hollered.

Ironhide looked down at the children. “You better suit up, kids. You’re coming with us straight into hell.”

XXXXXX

Knockout thought he had died. It was all so quick and sudden that he didn’t know what happened. Seeing that energy beam shooting at the Nemesis literally made his life flash before his eyes before the ship shook violently and he hit his head on the console. When he came to after blacking out, he heard loud noises and shouting as well as feeling the floor shake underneath him. It took him a moment to realize someone was dragging him through the hall.

“Get up!” Someone yelled.

“Huh?” Knockout could barely tell what was going on. A hard slap to his face brought him back to his senses and he saw Barricade’s face leaning over him.

“I said get up you fool! We need everyone to quell the flames!” Barricade yelled.

But Knockout was more concerned with something more important. “Did you just slap me, with those fingers?”

“Focus, Knockout!”

“I almost got blown to scrap, you daft bastard!” The medic shouted and wretched his arms free of Barricade’s hold. “The last thing I need is having my flawless features scarred forever by your claws Edward Scissorhands!”

“Would you two idiots help us out over here and stop your stupid comedy routine!” Flamewar hollered as she sprayed foam sealant over the flames spreading from the lower deck. Knockout was horrified to see that there was a massive hole in the side of the ship.

‘Primus, that beast nearly blasted apart the entire lower deck!’ Knockout thought in shock. Then he realized that his lab was down there in the line of fire. “No, the medibay!”

As Knockout ran to see if his lab made it, Soundwave and the twins were hard at work trying to keep the Nemesis from crashing into the ocean. Having taken a direct hit from that beam, the ship was spinning through the air out of control. Ravage was busy gauging the amount of damage they took and from the sound of it, this ship wasn’t going to stay in the air for very long.

“Rumble, Frenzy, get us over to the island for an emergency landing.” Soundwave ordered.

“How? The thrusters are barely working and I’m pretty sure the engines are completely destroyed! We on the verge of free falling here!” Rumble said.

“Then try a controlled landing. We cannot let this ship hit the water!” Soundwave said.

“Soundwave, bad news,” Leader-1 said. “Much of the lower deck was badly hit. The engine room was blown open and half the fuel lines were destroyed, so we’re losing power fast. There’s a large fire spreading from the rear of the ship. I think the energon storage vault was hit as well, along with the medibay. We’re running on reserve power, but our power levels are dropping steadily.”

The Nemesis was designed to be a siege engine, able to literally smash through enemy defenses and deploy troops within enemy lines while also laying down a heavy bombardment of its own. Thus, it was equipped with its fair share of weapons that can do a lot of damage in little time. But that one blast had destroyed half of those weapons and forced the ones still operational to run at half power. For a ship that could take fire from other warships of its kind, this was a disturbing moment for the Decepticons.

Eventually Soundwave managed to direct the ship’s thrusters to level the ship somewhat and steer it towards the island. By some miracle, the Nemesis remained in the air long enough for it to crash into the beach and slide along the ground, sending sand and dirt everywhere as it ran over trees and skidded to a stop.

“Are we dead yet?” Frenzy groaned.

“Shut it, bro.” Rumble grumbled.

Soundwave looked at the static ridden monitor and saw Sapientia swimming straight for the island at full speed with the Seekers attacking it with everything they got. He even spotted Nightshade in the flurry shooting arrows at it, but he couldn’t see Megatron.

“Are our weapons systems online?” He asked Leader-1.

“The particle cannons are still kicking, and we still have one of the missile batteries left. The other was destroyed.”

“Target the enemy and fire at will.” Soundwave commanded.

Out at sea, Megatron still held on to Sapientia’s right ring with all his might as it swam through the rough waters at speeds dwarfing an aircraft carrier. In the water it was nimble and agile, and it had already dodged three of Nightshade’s arrows, which seemed to be the only thing that could do serious damage to the creature. As it was, she was too busy trying not to shoot Megatron.

“Megatron, get off! We can’t hit it properly if you stay in the line of fire!” She said.

“I said I’d tear its heart out and I stand by that promise!” Megatron roared. “This beast will pay for attacking my ship!”

Nightshade tried to protest, but Starscream cut her off. “Let him go! If he wants to go out in a blaze of glory, then let him!”

“It’s attacking again!” Skywarp announced.

The panels on Sapientia’s back opened up and its eye stalks slid out, firing light beams at the flyers to scatter them. Nightshade, whose patient already ran out a long time ago, began shooting arrows at the tendrils along with Starscream. One of the tendrils took a few direct hits and exploded in a cloud of red powder. Thundercracker flew over another tendril and unleashed one of his signature sonic booms, which blasted apart one of the laser shooting eyes.

As they fought, two giant beams came from the island and hit Sapientia dead center, right in his front leg and shoulder. The blast knocked it over and staggered it, allowing the flyers to unleash a massive assault on the beast.

“How do ya like that you freak?” Skywarp shouted.

As if in response, Sapientia leapt out of the water and smacked him out of the air, sending Skywarp crashing into the water, where he didn’t resurface. The Cardinal fired another beam from its mouth, though this one was slightly weaker than the blast that took down the Nemesis.

 **“Fools, you cannot kill me!”** Sapientia roared. **“I am protected by Jubileus. You’re only prolonging your inevitable death!”**

Gathering more energy into his mouth, Sapientia fired another beam at the island, right at the Decepticon bunker. This fight was going to be finished one way or another.

XXXXXX

In the Ark, the children were gearing up to head out with the Autobots in their talos. Wheeljack had gifted them with newly made pilot suits called exo-frames. They were form fitting and increased their physical abilities in the same manner as muscle fibers to increase strength, while also being protective enough to negate some small arms fire like Kevlar. Once they had their suits on (and Annie retrieved Mjolnir from the weapons locker) they went to their machines, only to be confronted by Debbie.

“Absolutely not!” Debbie yelled, crossing her arms. “None of you are going out into that chaos!”

“Debbie…” Darren sighed.

“Debbie, please,” Gina pleaded. “That monster is tearing through the country for our home state. Tranquility is in trouble and we have to do something before more people get hurt.”

““I don’t care. The Autobots are more than enough to handle that thing.”

“No, they’re obviously not.” Annie replied. “Sis, with our help, they can take that thing out and-“

“No! I already lost mom and dad to a war and I’m not losing you two to another.” Debbie screamed. She was starting to cry, trying to stay strong but failing. “I won’t be able to go on if I lost both of you as well. I can’t go through that again…”

Darren and Annie walked over to their big sister and hugged her tightly. Debbie hugged them back and didn’t let go for a few minutes.

“We have to do this, Debbie.” Darren muttered. “For our home and for you.”

“But you’re kids, you shouldn’t have to be involved in all this.” She whimpered. “You’re all so young, too young to be fighting for your lives.”

“We know, but we have the power to help stop this.” Annie smiled and kissed her big sister on the cheek. “We’ll be careful, sis. That’s a promise.”

After another hug the twins broke off from their sister and walked to their talos. Debbie stepped back as the three talos powered up and started to move, walking past her and out of the room. Debbie walked over to the Street Action Team and bowed her head.

“High Wire, Grindor, Sureshock, please take care of them.” Debbie requested tearfully. “Keep them safe.”

“Don’t worry, Debbie, we’ll protect them with our lives.” High Wire said.

The three Minicons transformed and combined into the towering gestalt Centurion, who looked down at her and nodded. “They will not be hurt while we still function.”

Debbie stood in the doorway watching the three talos and gestalt leave for the dangerous mission. She closed her eyes and prayed to Gaia or whatever god was listening to her that they all made it back safe and sound.

XXXXXX

Temperantia crossed the border into Manitoba, the storm circling around his body like a living typhoon. He had managed to recharged half his energy since chasing the Autobots off and he was well on his way to the Ark’s location without any interference from the aliens. Along the way he passed through a rocky area with towering stone pillars that reached hundreds of feet into the air, named the Thunderhawk Forest by the local Manitou tribes who believed this place to be shaped by the legendary thunderbird of local folklore. It wasn’t a forest in the traditional sense, instead it was just a reference to the abundance of stone pillars that formed naturally.

During his transition, Temperantia scolded himself for making such a foolish move. That one blast used up a good portion of his power and slowed his progress considerably. Quintessence, the source of his and all the dolems’ power, was not infinite. A being like him could not run out of quintessence, but he still needed to recharge it. As plentiful in the mysterious energy this world was, he still needed time to get his reserves back to full strength.

“Temperantia!”

The yell came from below and Temperantia stopped to see Optimus Prime standing on top of one of the pillars before him. Powerlinked with Sparkplug, he had his ion cannon in his other hand, ready to fight once more.

 **“So you’ve come looking for another beating, Prime, even after witnessing my power.”** Temperantia said mockingly. **“I thought you were smarter than that.”**

“You’ll learn that I’m not one to give into a higher authority without reason.” Optimus said, pointing his cannon at the Cardinal. “Case in point!”

He fired an ion blast that hit Temperantia’s left sphere, making him recoil in pain. Growling, the dolem glared down at Optimus and shot twin beams of light from his eyes. Optimus rolled under the beams as they swept over him and he heard the surrounding pillars get obliterated by the powerful attack. Getting back to his feet, he saw Temperantia’s massive first flying at him and jumped off the pillar. He used the other pillars to land safely on the ground and transformed, driving away from the massive being.

 **“You’ll not escape me this time, Prime!”** Temperantia roared and fired his eye beams at Optimus.

Optimus kept driving before making a hard left and changing forms, hiding from sight as the beams left behind a trail of flames in their wake. Looking over at Darren across from him, Optimus gave the signal and the red and gold form of the Prometheus took to the air, with four large boulders flying after it.

Darren flung the boulders at Temperantia, slamming tons of rock into his body with enough force to shatter a tank. Blocking the rocks with one of his arms, Temperantia turned to face Darren and raised his hand to shoot his fireballs from his fingers. But he wouldn’t get the chance to eliminate the esper boy as a cry came from below.

“Surprise!”

Jazz appeared from just under the Cardinal, grappling onto his arm and leaping up into the Cardinal’s path. He pointed his cryo-blaster at Temperantia’s fingers and shot a volley of cryo-blasts that instantly froze over the being’s fingers, blocking the nozzles. Flipping in the air, he landing a strong kick to one of his fingers, smashing them apart into tiny crystalline shards. It took only minutes to smash Temperantia’s fingers apart before Jazz grappled onto his other hand and froze the fingers there too before swinging away.

“Cee, it’s your turn!”

Arcee raced up a pillar and leapt onto the Cardinal’s right hand. She grabbed onto his massive hand and began cutting away his frozen fingers. She shattered most of his fingers before Temperantia smashed his arm against a pillar, forcing her to jump off.

“Most of its fingers ae gone, Optimus!” Arcee yelled.

“Time for phase 2.” Optimus said. “Bulkhead, Ironhide, Bumblebee, take out the arms!”

The three Autobots were positioned in three locations nearby. Equipped with thermos-rocket launchers and a magma-grenade launcher for Bumblebee. They aimed on the closest target they could find, which was Temperantia’s right arm and fired at once. Their combined artillery fire tore into the sphere connecting its arm and bombarded with explosive force. Temperantia groaned and tried to move, but Optimus and Darren attacking its left side pinned him in place. The team didn’t let up their assault and kept shooting with everything they had, even when their rocket launchers were in danger of overheating. Their persistence paid off, as the sphere could no longer maintain its integrity and exploded in a burst of red dust.

Temperantia’s roar was deafening as his sensitive organ exploded and his right arm fell to the ground, smashing into a nearby pillar and sliding onto its side. Ironhide’s team cheered as they saw the powerful creature in pain and seriously wounded.

“Hell yeah, we finally did some damage!” Bulkhead hollered.

“It’s not over yet, Bulkhead.” Ironhide said. “Jazz, Arcee, time to take out the other arm.”

“Got it, Hide.” Jazz said. “Cee, you ready?”

“Always am, Jazz.” Arcee replied.

She leapt off the pillar and grappled onto another, swinging around over to the Cardinal’s thrashing body. Just as she got in position for a clear shot at its shoulder, Temperantia swung his arm at her faster than she could react.

“Arcee!” Darren shouted.

Arcee had no time to dodge and she was almost hit by the large fist, but something blocked her vision. It was Jazz. He covered her body with his own just as the hand slammed into them and sent them crashing into the ground. Both Autobots rolled along the rocky crag and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

“Bumblebee, go see to Arcee and Jazz.” Optimus ordered. “Darren, standby for Prowl’s signal with the girls. We can’t let up the assault!”

Just two miles away, Wheeljack and Prowl were setting up another powerful weapon of their own; one of the Ark’s starblitz cannons, fully charged and capable of punching through a battleship’s armor. As Wheeljack made sure it was operational, Prowl was keeping an eye on the battle. The others were leading Temperantia straight towards them as according to plan. They only had one shot at this, as once they fired the cannon, their position would be revealed.

“They’re almost at the designated rendezvous point, Wheeljack. Are you ready?” Prowl asked.

“Yup, just got down calibrating the laser targeting system.” Wheeljack said. “But, Prowl, this thing wasn’t meant to work as an independent weapon. This thing only has two shots in it, so we better make them count.”

“Copy that.” Prowl nodded and watched the Cardinal inch closer and closer into their line of sight. Wheeljack got behind the cannon and held his finger over the trigger, waiting for Prowl’s command. Prowl waited until he could see Temperantia’s large body in the reticle and swiped his hand down.

“Fire!”

The cannon charged up and fired a blinding white particle beam that cut through the rain like a lightning bolt. Temperantia saw the bright light of the beam coming towards him, and just as he turned, it hit the sphere of his left shoulder. A large burst of flames engulfed his entire left side and Temperantia crashed into the pillar next to him. His altitude lowered as he slowed to a stop, bending over in pain.

Darren, now in hiding with Annie, Gina, Centurion and Sara, saw the explosion from his position and moved his talos.

“That’s our cue, people.” Darren said, his heart beating rapidly. “Let’s go!”

XXXXXX

Nightshade didn’t know what to expect when she fired an arrow from Gandiva. She had no idea if shooting Sapientia again after watching him tank all of their attacks would make a difference, but she was moving on autopilot after watching him gear up for another attack at the Nemesis. She didn’t survive hundreds of years of oppression under the Senate and millions of years of warfare across the galaxy just to be done in by some freak with a large mouth and fancy wings.

She let her arrow go just as Sapientia fired his beam, and there was a flash of light that forced everyone to look away. When the flash died down, Nightshade found that Primus was with her that moment. She actually wounded Sapientia! The Cardinal let out a gargle groan as his lower jaw hung loosely under his upper jaw. It hung crooked on his head and swung lifelessly like a broken door on a loose hinge.

“You hit it?!” Starscream gaped. How did Nightshade’s magic bow even manage to damage that beast after they’ve spent all their ammo just trying to slow it down for the past hour? “What the hell is going on?”

Sapientia swung his head and reattached his jaw to his skull before glaring up at Nightshade. **“So you wield a quintessence weapon, fate must be laughing at me for failing to kill you all. That bow and others like it was given to man for their servitude to my kind, not for you to play around with! No matter, against me, it’s useless in your hands!”**

“Wanna bet?” Nightshade challenged.

Sapientia didn’t both trying to attack again. He ducked back under the waves and increased his speed towards the island. Its speed was amazing, and the damaged Seekers could barely track him through the waters below. Megatron kept hanging onto its head to avoid being swept away by the current pushing against him.

Thanks to his speed, Sapientia made it to the island unrestricted. Reaching the shore, he smoothing leapt out of the water onto the beach and stomped towards the small forest that separated it from the bunker built into the side of the volcano.

 **“You should consider yourself lucky to be here with me, Megatron.”** Sapientia said as he smashed through the trees and crushed them under his large feet. **“It’s not everyday someone witnesses the destruction of everything they hold dear. All your accomplishments, all your hollow victories, are nothing in the eyes of God.”**

 **“** You’re no god,” Megatron spat. “You’re a freak of nature spawned from this planet like a festering tumor. And you will know your place when fighting me!”

**“No, you will know yours!”**

A hard thrash of his head threw Megatron off its skull and into the air, where he snatched the Decepticon leader in his teeth and tried to snap him in half. Megatron held his jaws apart with his hands and feet. He channeled energon to his legs and arms to keep the jagged teeth from crushing him, even as they cut into his hands.

 **“Give in.”** Sapientia’s voice rumbled around Megatron’s body. **“You have no place in this world. Give up this futile struggle and She will be merciful.”**

“Never…” Megatron hissed, his arms and legs burning from the strain. He couldn’t hold on much longer.

**“You know it’s true. Lay down your arms and bow down to your superiors!”**

“Megatron bows to no one!” The warlord roared.

Starscream and Thundercracker appeared behind Sapientia and opened fire on his back. A few well-placed laser blasts blew off his wing, and Sapientia growled. Megatron felt his jaws loosen and used the chance to climb out of his mouth and back onto his spine.

 **“You persistent fools!”** Sapientia smacked Starscream aside with his claws and spun around, slamming his tail into Thundercracker. Skywarp teleported right in front of his face, but he too was smacked aside by the Cardinal.

“Just die already!” Nightshade shot another arrow into his shoulder, making him stumble as a large chunk was blasted off his body. Still, he was too enraged to worry about his wounds as he leapt at Nightshade in a fury.

Large jaws snapped at her, but Nightshade flew out of his reach and fired another arrow into its jaw, shattering its teeth. Sapientia retaliated with a charge, slamming his head into Nightshade and smashing her into a tree. As she crumpled to the ground, Sapientia spun around and focused his sights on the bunker.

 **“Witness the end of all hope!”** He declared and opened his mouth, revealing the bright ivory jewel in his throat that began charging up for another devastating beam to destroy the bunker, and the rest of the volcano.

But as he charged up for the final strike, Megatron jumped off his head and spun his body around to face the Cardinal’s gaping maw. Pointing his fusion cannon directly at Sapientia’s open mouth, Megatron fired his weapon just as Sapientia fired his own beam.

XXXXXX

Bumblebee tried to ignore the heavy fighting and explosions going on behind him as he raced towards Arcee and Jazz’s location. He needed to trust the others to stay safe while he saw to his comrades.

Temperantia had gone into a mad rage after losing his arm. He smashed apart the stone pillars and fired beams from his eyes at anything that moved. While the ground based Autobots took cover, the vanguard of the assault rested with Skyfire and the children.

They were like fireflies compared to Temperantia’s immense size, flying around him and shooting beams at his body. Darren and Annie took point in their assault, with Darren providing telekinetic protection to Annie and Skyfire as they attacked. Skyfire dropped bombs on Temperantia’s shoulders and fired her laser cannons at him when she had the chance, while Darren flung large rocks at his face in addition to firing his beam rifle. Annie was the arsenal of the group, and attacked with the full force of her beam cannons, bazooka and Mjolnir’s thunder, which was more powerful in the storm.

Gina hung back, standing atop a pillar as she brought out her talos’ agni cannon and took aim. She waited for Darren and Annie to give her an opening before firing the cannon, releasing a powerful red beam that hit one of the spheres on Temperantia’s lower body. The blast shattered the sphere with a direct hit, and once it was gone, a piece of Temperantia’s body crumbled to dust.

In the meantime, Bumblebee reached the spot Jazz and Arcee had fallen and transformed to climb over the rubble. “Arcee, Jazz, sound off if you’re okay!”

He heard Arcee’s voice. “Bee, over here!”

Bumblebee ran in the direction of her voice and found the two Autobots sitting inside the crater they made upon hitting the ground. Arcee was mostly fine, nursing a broken arm and Peppercat and Roadstorm were unconscious but alive as well. But Jazz took the worst of it, sitting against a boulder with damaged armor and pieces of sharp rocks stuck in his body.

“I’m so glad you two are alright.” Bumblebee breathed, relieved. “But how are you guys not scrapped? I saw you get hit.”

“Ask Jazz, I blacked out after were hit the ground.” Arcee said.

“Mind over matter, Bee. First rule of Circuit-Su.” Jazz chuckled, giving a weak cough. “Perfect for tanking hits that could kill ya. Nearly did me in though.” He chuckled again but winced when he felt a sharp pain in his left side. “Ow.”

“How’s the battle going?” Arcee asked.

“The kids are making progress is fighting that thing. They’ve already taken out one of the spheres in the front and now they’re trying to attack its back.” Bumblebee said. “Right now, they’re success is riding on how much Lady Luck is willing to give us a hand.”

“The kids will do fine. They’ve been through worse spats than this.” Jazz said weakly.

“Don’t talk, Jazz, you need some rest.” Arcee said.

“Jolt,” The red Minicon detached from Bumblebee’s back and hovered in front of him. “Tell the others that Jazz is okay.”

“Got it.” Jolt said and flew away. Bumblebee went over to check his friends over; their part in this battle was over, and now it was up to the others to get this done.

Darren grunted as Temperantia’s eye beams hit his telekinetic barrier, pushing his talos back with strong force. Unable to right himself, he crashed into the ground with the beams still pushing against his barrier.

“Centurion, do it!” Darren hissed.

Hanging onto the leg of the Enyo, Centurion let go of the talos and jumped onto Temperantia’s body, stabbing the omni-saber into his flesh and sliding down onto his back. The sphere pulsated like a beating heart in Temperantia’s back and Centurion wasted not even a second before stabbing the blade into it. Temperantia gave an enormous scream as the sphere shook and broke apart, along with the armored pieces surrounding it. Centurion jumped off and onto Skyfire as she passed under him.

“That’s the second sphere down!” Darren said, shooting at the Cardinal once more. He was pleased to notice that his attacks were actually doing more damage now that the localized force field was weakening. “Annie, you’re up!”

Annie called upon Mjolnir’s power and moved Enyo into position. Raising her arm, she fired Mjolnir like a bullet and the hammer flew through the air like a missile, gathering static electricity as it flew. It crashed into the sphere of Temperantia’s left arm dead center and exploded in a bright burst of electricity, vaporizing it in a white flash. The explosion was enough to stagger Temperantia and sent his remaining arm falling to the ground.

“Hell yeah!” Annie cheered. She recalled Mjolnir to her and grinned. “That’s how you do it!”

Her mirth turned to horror as she saw three energy lances shoot from Temperantia’s forehead at her. Two lances hit Enyo’s left arm and leg, while the third hit her in the chest. Annie was protected by the heavy armor of her cockpit, but she was blasted out of the air and hit the ground hard.

“Annie!” Centurion landed on the ground and ran to check on the girl. He hopped onto the talos and banged his fist on the hatch. “Annie, are you alright?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m okay.” Annie groaned, rubbing her head. “At least, as okay a girl with nine fingers can be. But I think I’m grounded, guys.”

Having shot down one talos, Temperantia turned his attention to the other two, though his gaze was focused on the Prometheus, which he knew was piloted by an esper. **Why do you fight me, children? Why do you spurn my attempts at granting your people salvation?”**

“Don’t even bother. We already heard your argument from that one shot wonder we snuffed out last time.” Darren growled.

“This temper tantrum of yours is doing nothing but threatening the lives of thousands of people and destroying everything.” Gina said. “You shouldn’t be surprised that we’re attacking you like this when you’re threatening our homes!”

 **“We molded you humans from clay and breathed life into you, we granted you fire to give you warmth, we granted your kind with the power to conquer the world as you see fit.”** Temperantia ranted, his voice rising in tone as his anger grew. **“We gave you the secrets of science and technology to better combat the world’s dangers, and yet you still turn your weapons at us! Such insolence will not go unpunished! I will show you the error of your ways!”**

“Just shut up and fight!” Gina shouted and fired a blast from her agni cannon at his face. To her surprise, Temperantia deflected the beam before it could reach his face.

Temperantia advanced towards Gina, but was suddenly assaulted by a barrage of weapons fire from below. The Autobots were attacking all at once from different locations, now able to do more damage now that the Cardinal’s shield was severely weakened. Chunks of his body were blown off, and pain erupted all over its form as laser blasts, missiles, neutron beams and ion bursts hit it all at once. Eventually, Temperantia had enough and flared his power.

**“DIE!”**

Temperantia roared and his halo shined brighter, to the point where it looked like a star. From the halo, almost a dozen beams of light were fired from it and shot at the Autobots. Like missiles they hit the ground and hunted down anything that move, and the Autobots were forced to scatter as explosions blossomed around them. The stone arch Ironhide and Bulkhead stood on was destroyed and they fell along with the rubble that collapsed. Prowl and Wheeljack were blasted apart when a beam hit near them. Optimus de-linked from Sparkplug and they drove away to avoid getting hit by the beams as they hit the ground.

Temperantia’s heavy barrage ravaged the area, blasting apart the stone pillar and blasting craters into the ground and canyon walls. When he was done, much of the land within a mile of Temperantia was nothing but rubble and craters.

 **“Will you creatures persist in fighting me or have you realized the futility of your struggle?”** Temperantia growled.

“Here’s our answer!” Darren appeared out of the rubble with six boulders hovering his talos like small planets. He threw them at Temperantia’s face, but the Cardinal hardly seemed concerned with the lackluster resistance.

 **“Was that supposed to make a difference, human?”** Temperantia asked, not amused.

“No,” Darren smirked. “It’s supposed to provide a distraction.”

A red beam shot from an unseen source and hit the sphere right under Temperantia’s chest. The sphere shattered and Temperantia howled furiously as pain erupted along the front of his body. With the final sphere gone, the force field protecting him completely dissipated, leaving him vulnerable.

“They did it.” Prowl whispered in surprise.

“Children, get out of there!” Optimus yelled.

Temperantia’s howl was more deafening and terrifying than an actual thunderclap as he fired another barrage from his halo at Darren and Gina. Darren tried to dodge them, but they followed his movements and he encased his talos in a telekinetic bubble as they all slammed into him at once, slamming him into the ground and pushing him into the earth. Gina had to zigzag to avoid the beams, but they were gaining on her quickly and she could lose them. She stalled to let several of them fly past her and exploded against each other, but some still chased her through the air.

Darren could see through the barrage assaulting him that she was losing ground and his heart stopped when he saw a beam destroy one of her legs. “Gina!”

That first hit staggered the Athena and Gina was left open to the other beams. Most of them hit the Athena’s blast shields that took the brunt of the damage, but two beams hit the talos’ shoulders and sent it spiraling into the ground. The machine bounced off the ground once before rolling around the ground until it slid to a stop. It didn’t get up.

Darren saw that Temperantia was gearing up for a finishing blow and pushed his talos to fly to her aid. He already knew that he was too far away from her and his talos wasn’t operating at full power like earlier. “Shit, I’m not going to make it!”

Temperantia fired another beam right at the downed Athena to destroy it, but before it could reach her, Optimus jumped in front of the talos. His Matrix glowing like the North Star, he raised his battle axe and blocked the beam head on. The Cardinal, and everyone else present, were shocked at Prime blocking the powerful attack, a blue aura surrounding his body. The Matrix chose this moment to lend its power and Optimus was going to make good use of it.

“No more people will die today!” Optimus roared. His arms buckled under the strain of the beam and he felt himself being pushed back. “No more!”

 **“If you want to die for humanity’s sins against us, then so be it. May the Creator bless your soul.”** Temperantia increased the power of his beam and the energy surged blasted Optimus and Gina away from each other.

Optimus bounced across the ground and crashed into a pile of rubble. No longer concerned with killing Gina, Temperantia flew over to Optimus and opened up his forehead, collecting energy into the jewel in his head. Optimus wearily stood up and raised his axe. He knew that blocking a blast like that was next to impossible, as was outrunning it, but he wasn’t going to give up right at the end!

Temperantia fired his beam and Optimus braced himself for the powerful attack. But as it shot towards him, something blocked his view of the beam…it was the Prometheus!

“Darren?!” Optimus exclaimed.

Raising Prometheus’s arms, Darren channeled his powers through his talos to summon his most powerful force barrier just as it reached him. The beam slammed into his barrier and Darren felt the strain of the attack as it pushed against his barrier. He struggled to keep his talos in the air while maintaining the barrier. It was like trying to stop a bullet train with his bare hands, but his determination kept him from giving in to the need to pass out.

The Prometheus was slowly pushed back, but its barrier didn’t falter. Temperantia wasn’t too concerned, as he increased the power of his beam and that did the trick. There was a bright flash of light and the beam exploded into a shining white dome of energy, engulfing Optimus and Darren.

XXXXXX

Time seemed to stop as Megatron and Sapientia faced each other, both poised to attack, with only the fastest one to make it out alive. And Megatron was just a fraction faster.

He fired a beam from his fusion cannon into Sapientia’s mouth just as he was about to fire and it caused a violent reaction inside the Cardinal’s mouth. An explosion went off in his mouth and he choked on it, belching flames and smoke between his broken teeth. Roaring, Sapientia charged at Megatron, who landed on the ground and reverted to tank mode, driving back in reverse. He circled around Sapientia to let him run past and flanked the Cardinal.

“I believe in no gods, just as I do not believe in Heaven and Hell,” Megatron fired his cannon repeatedly, blasting chunks out of Sapientia’s body. “There is only one god I believe in, and that is death!”

 **“Then you shall meet your god!”** Sapientia howled.

Sapientia swiped at him, but Megatron changed forms and jumped aside to avoid the claws. He fired another blast into his leg, destroying it at the wrist. Despite this, Sapientia still fought furiously.

Unseen by the Cardinal, the Nemesis had targeted him and at Soundwave’s command, fired its particle cannons into its right side. Sapientia staggered to the side, and was open to the rain of anti-ship missiles that slammed into his bod, riddling him with explosions. As his body slowed down and began falling apart, Sapientia still continued to fight.

“You know, even if you had torched my ship, I admire your tenacity, your will to live. Not many can fight like this while on the verge of death.” Megatron said. “But you tried to kill me, and no one attempts that without expecting to be slain where they stand.”

Sapientia gave a deep chuckled. **“You still your inferiority behind a façade of bravado. You and your little war is nothing compared to what my kind has been through, what we’ve achieved as a species. We have ascended and are just one step away from achieving the ultimate evolution, and that is what keeps us going. You have nothing to fight for-no home, no people, not even a cause. That reality will catch up to you, Megatron, and when it does, it will snatch you up…and devour you!”**

Sapientia leapt up and opened his mouth, not to attack Megatron, but the Nemesis. Firing a low powered beam from his mouth, he hit the second deck of the ship, near the bridge, and took out its remaining missile pods. Then it spun around and lunged at Megatron.

Then, as it coming down from the heavens itself, a silver arrow hit Sapientia’s back, blasting another hole in its spine and destroying its other wing. Like an angel of death, Nightshade descended upon the Cardinal in robot mode, pointing Gandiva at him and pulling the string back.

“Fall.”

She released the arrow and let it engulf Sapientia’s head in silver light.

XXXXXX

“No…” Annie gasped as she saw Optimus and Darren disappear in the dome of light caused by the explosion.

No one moved or said a thing as they all thought two of their comrades had been destroyed right before their very eyes. Temperantia thought he had won and prepared to turn his sights on the other Autobots. But then the dome started to trembled before the energy began to distend, like something was growing inside it. Temperantia’s eyes widened as he saw this.

**“Impossible.”**

The dome of golden white energy exploded and Optimus, bathed in a silver aura of telekinetic energy, flew out of it with Prometheus’ beam saber in his hand. Propelled through the air by Darren’s powers, he shot at the Cardinal like a bullet. Optimus gave a mighty roar and raised the saber before stabbing it into the middle of Temperantia’s head, digging the blade of ionized plasma into the jewel inside Temperantia’s forehead.

Temperantia gave a deafening howl as his halo exploded in a shower of sparks and a pulse wave of power emerged from his body. Red sparkles of energy spurted from his head from where the beam saber cut into his brain and Optimus stared right into his eyes as the Cardinal’s body started to fall.

“This world will never be yours, Cardinal.” Optimus said. Temperantia laughed at him.

 **“Foolish alien, this planet already belongs to us. You are the invaders here.”** He said, his strength rapidly leaving his body. **“Everything on this world belongs to us, the world just forgot that simple fact.”**

Optimus held on tight as the Cardinal’s massive body crashed to the ground, falling onto his back. The ground shook from the impact and causing rubble to fly everywhere. Optimus pulled the saber from Temperantia’s head and stepped back as his face slithered out of his chest like a malformed snake. Temperantia looked down at Optimus with something akin to amusement.

**“Do not think that you have won by killing me, Prime. This alignment has brought forth a change across the world and mankind will feel its echoes for decades to come. My kind, the dolems, awaken across this planet and will serve Her Grace’s command. They will seek you out, hunt you without rest, and smite you for the sins committed against us today. All the world shall be your enemy, and you will get no reprieve.”**

“And we will fight you for as long as we have to.” Optimus replied, not looking away from Temperantia’s soulless gaze.

Prowl climbed up onto his body and glared at the head. “You seem oddly happy for someone whose seconds away from dying.”

 **“Unlike you lesser beings, I do not fear death. For far too long I have been separated from Her warmth, her light, and now I shall be with Her again.”** Temperantia said. **“She will have this world, Optimus Prime. Jubileus always gets what she wants.”**

“She’s welcome to try.” Optimus replied.

 **“I look forward to the day when She strikes you down for interfering in the destiny of all life in the universe.”** Temperantia laughed, as if Prime’s resistance was amusing beyond measure. As the light faded from his eyes, he gave the Autobots his last words. **“May the creator, Jubileus, bless you…”**

With those last words, Temperantia finally died, his head falling to the side. Optimus and Prowl jumped off Temperantia’s corpse, and Prime allowed himself to relax, dropping the now powerless beam saber to the ground.

“It’s finally over.” Optimus breathed.

Prowl crossed his arms and looked at the Cardinal’s now eroding corpse. “For now, at least.”

XXXXXX

Darren made an unsteady landing near the still motionless Athena and pushed himself out of his cockpit before the hatch was fully open. Centurion and Annie were already there when he climbed onto the talos.

“It won’t open,” Centurion said, Sureshock’s personality rising to the surface. “Gina isn’t answering our calls!”

Darren pushed them aside and telekinetically force the hatch open and looked inside. Gina sat unconscious in her seat, having been knocked out after hitting the ground when she crashed. Darren slowly climbed inside the cockpit and unclipped her seatbelt, pulling off her helmet and gently shook her.

“Gina, wake up.” He whispered. “Come on, Gina, wake up for me.”

After a minute, Gina’s eyes fluttered open and she let out a little groan. She opened her eyes and saw Darren leaning over her with Annie and Centurion behind him. “Darren? Ow, my head hurts.”

“Easy, Gina,” Centurion cautioned. “You took a bad hit. Are you okay?”

“My head hurts, but nothing serious.” Gina said weakly. Then she straightened up, eyes wide. “The Cardinal! Did we…?”

“We won, Gina. We did it.” Darren smiled.

Gina let out a shaky sigh and hugged Darren tightly, which he returned. Annie climbed in and joined in as well. All three friends were relieved to the point of tears and happy that everyone made it out alive.

“I was so scared.” Gina whispered. “I didn’t think we’d make it out.”

“When you have some of the best warriors the galaxy has to offer, you find it hard to be worried.” Darren said cheekily.

“Liar.” She chuckled. Looking over his shoulder, she saw the sky outside. “Guys, look, the rain’s stopped.”

The twins and Centurion looked up and saw that the heavy rain had indeed stopped, and it looked like the clouds were starting to break apart as well. Everything was calmer now, different from the fierce tempest that ravaged the continent moments earlier. It was almost symbolic in a sense; the danger had finally passed and nature was in control again.

“It has, hasn’t it?” Darren whispered, smiling.

XXXXXX

The Decepticons stood around the ravaged, fallen form of Sapientia, who was in no condition to life a claw as he finally stopped moving. Most of his torso was a smoking wreck, two of his legs were missing, and some of his head was blasted off. Now, after an arduous battle, the Cardinal was in his death throes.

and a hole burned into its head. Now it was in its death throes.

“Where is your god now?” Megatron asked.

Sapientia gave no answer.

“I asked you where is your god!” Megatron kicked its golden plated head. “You were spouting all that slag about divine retribution earlier. Where did all of that fearlessness go? Or are you just afraid of dying?”

 **“Death brings me closer to my Goddess, which is more than you can say about your god.”** Sapientia said. **“I may have failed, but She will still accept my immortal soul, but you, Megatron, you have no god. Your god died long ago, and now you fight an endless war with no purpose.”**

“Can I shut this thing up already?” Skywarp pointed his cannons at it, but Starscream forced his arms down.

“Stand down. Let it speak.” Starscream said. He wanted to hear what point it was trying to make.

 **“You have no goals, no cause to fight save for fighting itself.”** Sapientia continued. “ **Whereas I fight for the glory of Jubileus, you’ve lost your cause. Now you fight, because you know that if you stop fighting, people will realize that all the sacrifices made, all the people who’ve died for you, was all for nothing.”**

 **“** Are you done?” Megatron snapped. “If you are, then do us all a favor and die already. It’s been a long and infuriating day.”

Sapientia chuckled. “ **Your dream will crumble around you and in the end, all you’ll have left is a dead world with nothing to show for it. That is your reality, Megatron, and you are too slow to realize it.”** It let out a raspy groan and its head slumped to the side. **“May the creator Jubileus, bless you…”**

Megatron glared at the lifeless monster that nearly destroyed everything he built on this planet. He turned to the Nemesis and scowled at the damage it had taken. This warship had survived thousands of battles on Cybertron and beyond and this one monster nearly destroys it in a single day.

“So…what do we do now?” Thundercracker asked.

“Now? Now we survey the damage we’ve taken and make repairs!” Megatron glared at his troops. “What the hell do you think we’re going to do?”

“We’ll get right to work, Megatron.” Starscream said and flew over to the Nemesis with his Seekers.

Megatron and Nightshade stood in front of Sapientia’s corpse, which was now starting to crumble away. Nightshade sighed and turned to Megatron, saying, “This isn’t over, you know. More will come.”

“Then we will kill them all. I’ve faced worst monsters than a bunch of talking statues with a god complex.” Megatron said. “I’ll kill them all and keep killing them all the way to their precious goddess!”

He shot a blast at Sapientia’s head, blasting a hole in his skull and further breaking apart his body. “These beings will regret the day they ever heard my name. This means war!”

XXXXXX

The Autobots returned to the Ark victorious. The Autobots and their allies celebrated their victory, and recovered in their own ways. With their wounded recovering in the medibay, the rest of the team celebrated in the Rec Room.

Optimus stood apart from the group, watching everyone laugh and converse. Even Prowl took a minute to relax for once. Looking over at the humans and Minicons, he saw that they were also celebrating in their own way. Debbie was hugging Darren and Annie, Gina was being doted over by Sureshock and Sara, and the Minicons crowded around them, happy that everyone was alive and well.

He smiled (mentally of course) and walked into the hallway, down the familiar corridors of the ship that had become his home away from home over the course of the war. He entered his quarters and shut the door, pressing a button on his desk to switch on some good old Mozart to help him relax. Sitting at his desk, he thought back on everything that’s happened since arriving on this world and the discoveries made.

_We came to this world with a mission, hidden amongst its populace as robots in disguise. Though most of the natives are unaware of our presence, those that do not know of us have proven to be valuable allies, strong in both mind and body. But we have also made powerful enemies both human an otherwise, and they, too, have a part to play in this world’s conflict. The Decepticons still remain a threat to this planet’s safety, and Megatron’s ambition to conquer this world has grown, I know it. There are still Minicons hidden across this world who need our help, and I will not rest until they are all safe and sound._

_But we must remember that this world holds more secrets that we know of, and is involved in something far grander than our war. I know that, at some level, we are connected to these mysterious beings, the dolems, and this battle was simply the first chapter of a much larger saga. There are many secrets to be uncovered, and many questions to be answered, but I do know one thing-there is more to this planet than meets the eye._

_I am Optimus Prime. I send this message to our brothers and sisters fighting for the preservation of life out there amongst the stars. Though we are separated, know that we are always with you and will never forget your sacrifices._

_We remember._

**Book 1-End**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for Awakening! Thanks for reading this story and showing your support. Book 2: Escalation, will be posted next week, along with the second story in the prequel trilogy, Transformers: Descent.


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